Will the ‘Blue House Four’ Secure Their Seats? Key Insights Ahead of the June 3rd Elections

[iNews24 reporter Mun Jang-won] Four former Blue House aides have entered the parliamentary by-elections scheduled alongside the June 3 local elections. Because they are close allies of President Lee Jae-myung, their electoral outcomes will be interpreted as a referendum on his leadership and an early indicator of the administration’s ability to maintain governing momentum.

Four ex-Blue House officials secured nominations for the by-elections: former presidential spokesman Kim Nam-joon, who was first to begin campaign preparations; former secretary for National Digital Communications Kim Nam-guk; former secretary for AI Future Planning Ha Jung-woo; and former spokeswoman Jeon Eun-su.

The most closely watched candidacy is Ha’s confirmation to run in Busan Buk-gap. Busan Buk-gap is a constituency the Democratic Party must defend; it is the district of the party’s Busan mayoral candidate, Jeon Jae-su.

Ha faces heavy competition from seasoned politicians, including former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik and former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, making the race demanding for the political newcomer.

Local sentiment appears tight. A KBS Busan–commissioned Korea Research survey of 500 Buk-gap residents aged 18 and older, conducted April 27–28, showed Ha at 30%, Park Min-sik at 25% and Han Dong-hoon at 24%. All mobile numbers were randomly generated; the response rate was 23.3%, and the margin of error is ±4.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. See the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website for full details.

Jeon Eun-su, who resigned from the Blue House on the same day, won the nomination for Asan-eul in South Chungcheong Province, the former constituency of Blue House Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik.

After securing her nomination, Jeon wrote on Facebook: “In this place soaked with Kang Hoon-sik’s sweat, I feel the heavy responsibility to achieve both the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration and a leap forward for Asan. I will devote every bit of my ability to make Asan stronger.”

Kim Nam-joon, the first to leave the Blue House to run, received a strategic nomination for Incheon Gyeyang-eul, the constituency formerly associated with President Lee. Kim Nam-guk, a member of the original pro–Lee faction known as the “Seven,” won the nomination in Ansan-gap and is aiming to return to the National Assembly.

Political observers say the president’s relatively high approval ratings increase the likelihood that these four former aides can enter the legislature.

Choi Jin, director of the Presidential Leadership Institute, told iNews24 that because public support for the president remains strong, the so‑called “Myung‑pick” effect—the boost from the president’s endorsement—should be significant. He said all four are running under favorable conditions, so positive results are plausible.

Analysts add that electing these four could provide substantial political ballast for President Lee’s agenda going forward.

“An incumbent’s political capital typically erodes in the third and fourth years of a term,” a political source said. “If former Blue House aides win seats, it could create the conditions within the ruling party to sustain backing for the president’s policy program.”