Park Min-sik (People Power Party) and independent Han Dong-hoon opened rival campaign offices in Busan's Buk-gu district on May 10, 2024 [1].

The simultaneous openings signal a deepening divide within South Korea's conservative camp. Because both candidates are vying for the same parliamentary seat, their rivalry risks splitting the conservative vote and handing an advantage to opposing parties.

The campaign offices were established in Deokcheon-dong, located in the Buk-gu area of Busan [1]. The two sites are positioned approximately 600 meters apart, a distance that represents about a 10-minute walk [1].

This proximity underscores the intensity of the intra-conservative competition. While party leaders have urged a unified front to ensure a victory, the decision by both men to launch their operations at the same time suggests a lack of coordination between the official party candidate and the independent challenger.

Park Min-sik represents the established People Power Party, while Han Dong-hoon is running as an independent [1]. The clash in Deokcheon-dong serves as a physical manifestation of the broader ideological and strategic struggle over the future of conservative leadership in the region.

Observers said that the proximity of the offices creates a high-visibility confrontation for voters in Buk-gu. The rivalry centers on whether the path to victory requires strict party discipline, or a broader, independent appeal to the electorate [1].

“The two sites are positioned approximately 600 meters apart”

The geographical and temporal synchronicity of these campaign launches indicates a high-stakes power struggle within the conservative movement. By establishing offices within walking distance of one another, Park and Han are not merely campaigning against a general opponent, but are actively competing for the same base of supporters. This fragmentation suggests that internal party friction may outweigh the strategic desire for a unified front, potentially altering the outcome of the Busan Buk-gu Gap by-election.