Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
High-profile North Korean defector secures Assembly seat
High-profile North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho gives a speech during his general election campaign as a candidate of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) in Nonhyeon-dong, a part of the Gangnam-A constituency, April 9. Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
High-profile North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho, a candidate of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) running in a southern Seoul district, is likely to secure a win in the general election.
In his first election bid, Thae, the former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, was ahead of Kim Sung-gon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) 53.9 percent to 43.9 percent in the Gangnam-A constituency as of 11 p.m. Wednesday.
If the final result is favorable to him, Thae, who campaigned under his new name in the South, Thae Gu-min, would be the first North Korean defector to win a National Assembly seat through a constituency vote.
Although the affluent Gangnam-A district has traditionally been the conservative home turf, doubts had risen over whether Thae could win ― UFP election camp chief Kim Chong-in once opposed the idea of his candidacy there, saying his background had little connection to the district.
Two former female judges ― Lee Soo-jin, left, of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Na Kyung-won of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) ― appeal to voters in Seoul's Dongjak-B district, April 5. Yonhap
In the Dongjak-B constituency, attention was on the duel between two female former judges. Lee Soo-jin of the DPK was ahead of the UFP's Na Kyung-won, bidding for her fifth term.
Lee, one of the DPK's political rookies, had taken 50.7 percent while Na was at 46.7 percent as of 11 p.m.
Lee was a district court judge until she resigned in December 2019 to join the DPK.
She was an outspoken critic of former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae who is on trial on charges of abusing his power in politically sensitive cases to win favors from the previous Park Geun-hye government.
Democratic Party of Korea candidate Ko Min-jung, left, former spokeswoman to President Moon Jae-in, and main opposition United Future Party candidate Oh Se-hoon, a former Seoul mayor, call for support during their last-ditch campaigns in Gwangjin-B district in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Another DPK rookie, President Moon Jae-in's former spokeswoman and ex-KBS anchorwoman Ko Min-jung, was in a heated race with UFP candidate and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in Gwangjin-B, a district long dominated by the liberal side.
Ko had 52.1 percent of the vote to Oh's 46.4 percent.
Also a former anchorwoman from MBC, Bae Hyun-jin of the UFP was behind the DPK's Choi Jae-sung 56.5 percent to 40.1 percent in their Songpa-B rematch.
Bae lost to Choi in the 2018 by-election when she sought her legislative debut, after being in the center of a controversy for not joining an MBC union strike over the management's political neutrality and later quitting the firm.