With the June 3 local elections approaching, South Korea's Democratic Party is mounting an aggressive campaign to reclaim the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (PK) region. The party has turned to three veteran politicians—collectively dubbed the "Big Brother Trio"—to lead the charge.
Former lawmaker Park Jae-ho, Gyeongnam Provincial Committee Chairman Heo Seong-mu, and former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Doo-kwan have formed a "triangular formation" to coordinate strategy across the three key areas. Their goal is to wrest control of metropolitan government headships from the ruling party.
In Busan, Park Jae-ho is overseeing the campaign of candidate Jeon Jae-soo. Known as the "Big Servant of Nam-gu, Busan," Park is leveraging his grassroots connections to expand Jeon's support base by balancing organizational management with public sentiment.
In Gyeongnam, Chairman Heo Seong-mu is backing candidate Kim Kyung-soo. Heo is emphasizing cooperation with the current administration and promoting balanced regional development as core themes.
In Ulsan, former Governor Kim Doo-kwan serves as campaign manager for candidate Kim Sang-wook. Kim is focused on unifying the candidacy and consolidating support among the party base.
The Democratic Party aims to treat the PK region as a unified strategic front rather than three separate battlegrounds. By deploying these seasoned politicians, the party hopes to break the ruling party's stronghold and regain influence in this traditionally conservative area.