Liberal stronghold race is heating up in Ansan A electoral district. The by-election will fill a vacant seat in the National Assembly. Ansan A covers the southeastern part of the city. Foreign nationals account for over 13 percent of the population. More than 93,000 non-Korean residents lived there as of end-2025. The district is considered a traditional liberal stronghold.
Kim Nam-kuk, a former presidential secretary for digital communications, announced his bid first. He held a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday. Kim stated that his experience in the Assembly, the ruling party, and the presidential office equips him to bring tangible results. He pledged to attract jobs at South Korean conglomerates to Ansan. He also promised to build an underground railway for the Ansan Line. Additionally, he proposed a southward extension of the New Ansan Line commuter rail.
Kim’s six-year political career has seen significant ups and downs. He won a 2020 general election victory in another Ansan district. Subsequently, controversy emerged when authorities found he traded cryptocurrency during a parliamentary meeting. The revelation also indicated he owned undeclared cryptocurrency assets. Kim left the main liberal party in 2023 due to the controversy. He did not run in the 2024 general election. However, he returned to politics as a presidential secretary in June last year upon Lee Jae Myung’s inauguration. Another controversy followed in December when his text messages leaked to the media. The messages indicated he was asked to influence Cheong Wa Dae’s vetting process. Kim resigned from the presidential secretary post days later. He became the Democratic Party’s spokesperson in February.
Former three-term liberal lawmaker Jeon Hae-cheol is reportedly considering a bid. Jeon previously won elections in an Ansan constituency. He was considered a key figure in the faction supportive of former President Moon Jae-in. Jeon dropped out of candidate selection when Lee Jae Myung chaired the Democratic Party. Yang Moon-seok defeated Jeon in that party candidacy race. Yang won the 2024 general election but lost his seat in March. The Supreme Court convicted him of fraud. Yang then publicly asked Kim Yong, a key aide to Lee Jae Myung, to run. Lee’s aide Kim has not announced his stance yet.
Minor party leaders have also expressed interest in the seat. Speculation suggests Rebuilding Korea Party chair and former Justice Minister Cho Kuk will contest the seat. Basic Income Party Rep. Yong Hye-in, an incumbent proportional representation lawmaker, has also expressed intent to run. The Ansan A by-election will take place alongside local elections in June. Two seats became empty last June when Lee Jae Myung won the presidency. Lee picked three-term lawmaker Kang Hoon-sik as his chief of staff. Three Democratic Party lawmakers lost their seats due to Supreme Court rulings over 10 months. More vacancies are expected as incumbent lawmakers run for local offices. The Hanam A district seat recently vacated when Rep. Choo Mi-ae confirmed she would run for Gyeonggi Province governor.
