| Dobong A | |
| Type: | Single-member |
| Parl Name: | National Assembly |
| District Label: | District(s) |
| Region Label: | Region |
| Region: | Seoul |
| Electorate: | 136,836 |
| Year: | 1988 |
| Elects Howmany: | 1 |
| Seats: | 1 |
| Party Label: | Party |
| Party: | People Power |
| Member: | Kim Jae-sub |
| Previous: | Dobong |
Dobong A is a constituency of the National Assembly of South Korea. The constituency consists of parts of Dobong District, Seoul. As of 2024, 136,836 eligible voters were registered in the constituency. The constituency was created in 1988 from the Dobong constituency.
Since its establishment, Dobong A has more often voted for centre-left, liberal parties to represent the constituency and is thus considered a stronghold for the Democratic Party.[1] [2]
Shin Oh-chul of the right-wing New Democratic Republican Party was the first member to represent the constituency, having won with only 33.27% of the vote.[3] Shin unsuccessfully ran for re-election and was succeeded Yoo Ihn-tae of the centre-left Democratic Party.[4] In the following election held in 1996, Kim Geun-tae of the centrist liberal National Congress for New Politics won the seat with 38.85% of the vote, narrowly beating out Yang Kyung-ja of the centre-right Grand National Party.[5] Kim won re-election in 2000 and 2004 and went on to serve as Minister of Health and Welfare under President Roh Moo-hyun.[6] [7] [8] Kim narrowly lost re-election in 2008 to Shin Ji-ho of the Grand National Party.[9] [10] Shin was not re-nominated for the 2012 election, after losing to Yoo Kyung-hee in the Saenuri Party's primary for the constituency.[11] [12] In the general election, Yoo Kyung-hee faced In Jae-keun, the spouse of former representative Kim Geun-tae who had passed away in 2011.[13] In Jae-keun emerged victorious, securing 58.46% of the vote.[14] [15] In won re-election in 2016 and 2020, garnering 60.1% and 54.2% of the vote respectively.[16] [17]
Ahead of the 2024 South Korean legislative election, incumbent In Jae-keun announced that she would not be standing for re-election in Dobong A.[18] On February 23, 2024, the Democratic Party nominated former YTN anchor Ahn Gwi-ryeong as the party's candidate for Dobong A.[19] Despite the constituency's historical preference for candidates from the Democratic Party and predecessor parties, Ahn narrowly lost to Kim Jae-sub of the conservative People Power Party.[20] [21] [22] Kim Jae-sub was one of only three People Power Party candidates to win in Seoul constituencies north of the Han River.[23]
The constituency encompasses the neighborhoods of Ssangmun 1-dong, Ssangmun 3-dong, and Chang-dong. It is bordered by Dobong B to the north, Gangbuk A to the south and west, Nowon A to the east, and Nowon B to the northeast.
| Election | Member | Party | Dates | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Shin Oh-chul | New Democratic Republican | 1988–1992 | |||
| 1992 | Yoo Ihn-tae | Democratic | 1992–1996 | |||
| 1996 | Kim Geun-tae | National Congress | 1996–2008 | Minister of Health and Welfare (2004–2006) | ||
| 2000 | Millennium Democratic | |||||
| 2004 | Uri | |||||
| 2008 | Shin Ji-ho | Grand National | 2008–2012 | |||
| 2012 | In Jae-keun | Democratic United | 2012–2024 | Spouse of Kim Geun-tae | ||
| 2016 | Democratic | |||||
| 2020 | ||||||
| 2024 | Kim Jae-sub | People Power | 2024–present | |||