Min Hyung-bae maintains overwhelming trader support in the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special mayoral race due to the Democratic Party of Korea's entrenched dominance in the Honam region and his own established local profile as a former Gwangsan-gu mayor and National Assembly member. Candidate registration for the June 3 election opened on May 14, allowing Min to formally launch his campaign with pledges centered on regional economic growth and reversing decades of perceived neglect. The conservative People Power Party nominee Lee Jung-hyun faces structural barriers in a traditional opposition stronghold, where Democratic candidates routinely secure large margins. Realistic shifts in odds would require major late developments such as a significant scandal affecting Min, an unexpected surge in national conservative momentum, or unusually high turnout driven by localized issues like industrial policy or infrastructure funding.