South Korea’s ruling party loses Seoul, Busan mayoral election races, amid anger at Moon Jae-in’s government
- The local election was widely seen a key barometer for potential political shifts for Moon’s Democratic party with less than a year left before the presidential poll
- In Seoul, People Power contender and former mayor Oh Se-hoon secured 57.5 per cent of ballots among 8.4 million voters
The election was widely seen a key barometer for potential political shifts for Moon’s progressive party with less than one year left before the March 9 presidential election.
Moon and his Democratic Party have seen their approval ratings plunge to record lows in recent months amid skyrocketing housing prices, deepening inequality, sex abuse scandals and souring ties with North Korea.
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In Seoul, People Power contender Oh Se-hoon secured 57.5 per cent of votes among 8.4 million voters, clinching victory over Democratic candidate Park Young-sun who garnered 39.2 per cent, according to the state election commission.
Exit polls had predicted Oh’s landslide victory. Vote counts showed that Oh – who previously served as Seoul mayor from 2006 to 2011 – won all 25 districts of the city, fetching three times as many as Park got in the affluent town of Gangnam.
Oh expressed gratitude to voters after his victory was finalised, while Park conceded defeat, vowing “soul-searching over punishment from citizens”.
People Power chairman Kim Chong-in said after exit polls were released that popular anger had “exploded” over the government’s policy failures.
“I cannot hold back the sense of responsibility that’s already weighing heavily on my mind,” Oh said.
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In Busan, People Party candidate Park Hyung-joon received 62.7 per cent of the votes, beating Democrat Kim Young-choon who earned 34.4 per cent.
Voter turnout was 58.2 per cent in Seoul and 52.7 per cent in Busan from some 12.16 million eligible to cast ballots, exceeding 50 per cent in a snap election for local offices for the first time, according to the commission.
