Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party raises his arms as he calls for support in Seoul, Tuesday, the day before the local elections. Yonhap
In a stunning political turnaround, incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has secured a victory in Wednesday’s local elections, overcoming an early exit poll projection that had forecast a loss to his liberal rival Chong Won-o.
According to the National Election Commission Thursday, as of 9:30 a.m., with 97.7 percent of the votes counted, Oh of the conservative People Power Party obtained 48.94 percent of the vote, defeating Chong of the governing Democratic Party of Korea, who garnered 48.34 percent.
Chong had maintained a comfortable lead during the initial stages of the count. But by 7:20 a.m., roughly 13 hours after the beginning of the counting, Oh steadily erased the deficit to complete a dramatic come-from-behind win.
Speaking to reporters at 9:30 a.m., Chong offered his congratulations to Oh on his election victory, saying he would humbly and solemnly accept the choice of Seoul citizens.
The joint exit poll, conducted by major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, put Chong at 51.4 percent and Oh at 46 percent.
With this hard-fought win, Oh is expected to solidify his position as one of the key figures in both municipal politics and his conservative camp.
Source: Korea Times News
