Choo Kyung-ho wins Daegu mayoral race with Park Geun-hye's backing, defying early polls

People Power Party candidate Choo Kyung-ho has won the Daegu mayoral race, defeating Democratic Party of Korea rival Kim Boo-kyum and defying early polling that had put him behind. The result is being read as a successful late consolidation of the conservative vote in what has long been regarded as the heartland of South Korean conservatism.

According to the National Election Commission, Choo secured 53.92 percent of the vote on Thursday. The race was tight in the early count, but Choo steadily widened his margin as ballots were tallied.

Speaking at his campaign office after the result was confirmed, Choo said he had received both warm support and sharp criticism from voters. "I will do my utmost so that citizens' lives improve and Daegu's economy is revitalized," he said.

He also extended an olive branch to his defeated rival. "I think we both competed in good faith without causing each other much discomfort," Choo said. "I hope to meet him regularly going forward and benefit from his advice."

The Daegu mayoral contest was unusually competitive. Early polling consistently showed Kim ahead of Choo, fueling rare optimism within the Democratic Party that it could win the city's top office for the first time.

The People Power Party, sensing danger, appeared rattled, and some observers raised the possibility that a candidate from outside the conservative camp could become Daegu mayor for the first time.

The mood shifted, however, as the campaign entered its final stretch and conservative voters began to coalesce. Choo leaned heavily on his background as a former deputy prime minister for economic affairs, positioning himself as the right person to revive the city's economy.

Analysts say former President Park Geun-hye's late campaign appearances played a significant role in consolidating the conservative base. Park visited Chilseong Market in Daegu on May 23 to become the first prominent figure to stump for Choo, then joined him again on the campaign trail on May 31.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-jin said on MBC Radio on Thursday that Park's direct return to the political stage had made a partial difference. "I think there was a strong rally of shy conservatives in the TK region," he said, using the shorthand for Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.

Daegu has now maintained its status as a conservative stronghold once again. Since independent candidate Moon Hee-gap won the city's first popular mayoral election in 1995, the post has been held continuously by the conservative camp. Kim mounted a credible challenge this cycle but ultimately could not break through the conservative wall.

Choo has pledged to focus on five future industries — AI, robotics, future mobility, biotech and semiconductors — while upgrading the city's traditional pillars of machinery, metals and textiles as the core of his plan to revive Daegu's economy.

In a concession statement, Kim said he accepted the result with humility. "But this is my personal defeat — not the defeat of the Daegu citizens who yearn for change," he said. "I congratulate candidate Choo on his election."