Min Hyung-bae wins inaugural Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City mayoral race in landslide

Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea has been elected the inaugural mayor of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City. His path to the post traces a career spanning journalism and civic activism in the Gwangju-South Jeolla region, local government, presidential staff roles and the National Assembly.

With all ballots counted, Min secured 1,283,402 votes — a 79.01 percent share — according to the National Election Commission's election statistics system Thursday. His nearest rival, People Power Party candidate Lee Jeong-hyeon, received 189,718 votes, or 11.68 percent.

"We stand at the door of the nation's first and only integrated special city," Min said in his victory remarks. "I will lead this integration to success through a citizen-sovereignty government and overwhelming growth." He added that Jeonnam-Gwangju would be the first to prove that regions can drive their own transformative growth. "Our steps will not only bring remarkable change to Jeonnam-Gwangju — they will mark a turning point that redraws the map of South Korea's growth," he said.

Min was born in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, and attended Masan Elementary School, Haenam Middle School and Mokpo High School before graduating from Chonnam National University with a degree in sociology. He worked as a reporter for the Jeonnam Ilbo and co-led the local civic group Participatory Autonomy 21 before joining the Cheong Wa Dae staff under President Roh Moo-hyun, serving as an administrative officer and secretary. He later served two terms as Gwangsan-gu district chief in Gwangju — the fifth and sixth rounds of popular elections — building a national profile. He drew attention from labor groups and the central government by becoming the first district office in the country to convert irregular workers to permanent positions.

Min returned to Cheong Wa Dae under President Moon Jae-in, serving as secretary for autonomous development and secretary for social policy. During that period he worked to resolve major issues for Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, including the Gwangju-type jobs model, the establishment of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology and the creation of an AI cluster.

Min entered the National Assembly in 2020, winning his 21st general election seat with 84.05 percent of the vote — the highest rate in the country that cycle. Ahead of the 2022 presidential election, he was the first figure from the Honam region to publicly back Lee Jae-myung in the Democratic Party primary. Displaying his characteristic competitive instinct, he briefly left the party in 2022 to help push through legislation separating prosecutorial investigation and indictment powers, commonly known as the prosecution reform bill. In the 22nd general election he won re-election with 76.09 percent of the vote, becoming the only Gwangju lawmaker to secure a second consecutive term.

Min's victory means he will take office as inaugural mayor when the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City is launched in July. The merger reunites Gwangju and South Jeolla Province for the first time in 40 years, since their administrative separation in 1986. Min has said he intends to combine South Jeolla's energy industry with Gwangju's strengths in AI and culture to create a new growth engine for South Korea. He has also pledged to build a citizen-sovereignty government in which residents participate directly in policy decisions.