Three by-elections due Wednesday
Candidates running in the April 24 by-election in Seoul’s Nowon sit at an event encouraging people to vote hosted by a civic group, the Clean Election Campaign of Practice Citizens Conference, in front of Lotte Department Store’s Nowon branch, Tuesday, a day before polling day. From left are independent Na Ki-hwan; independent Ahn Cheol-soo; the Saenuri Party’s Huh Joon-young; the Unified Progressive Party’s Jung Tae-heung; and the Progressive Justice Party’s Kim Ji-sun. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Voters will cast their ballots Wednesday to decide the winners of three parliamentary seats in by-elections nationwide.
The election begins at 6 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m., with winners expected to be known around 10 p.m. The National Election Commission plans to broadcast the election live on its website and YouTube.
Three National Assembly seats ― for Nowon in Seoul, Yeongdo in Busan and Buyeo-Cheongyang in South Chungcheong Province ― will be decided.
Although the election has been somewhat out of spotlight due to North Korea’s continuing provocative activities and other big events in neighboring countries including China’s powerful earthquake in Sichuan Province, it still drew public attention on whether big name candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Moo-sung will enter the Assembly.
As the first elections since President Park Geun-hye took power, they are also seen as a chance to see how the public judge her.
In Nowon, a focus of media attention and likely to become a constituency of keen competition, independent Ahn and the ruling Saenuri Party candidate Huh Joon-young appealed to voters for support until the last minute. The official campaign period ended at midnight.
“I want to be a source of pride here in Sanggye-dong. I promise to conduct politics for ordinary people and solve various problems related to people’s livelihood. I will definitely fulfill what I have said,” Ahn said.
The software mogul-turned-politician encouraged people to vote, saying, “Please help me launch new politics here. If you do not vote, this village, the future of our children and the Republic of Korea will not be changed.”
The voter turnout is expected to be the biggest variable in the district as many believe a higher voting rate will help Ahn, who has many supporters among younger voters.
As part of his effort to differentiate himself from Ahn, who only moved into the district before the election, Huh stressed he is a regional figure who has previously worked for Nowon.
“I want to serve Sanggye-dong. I will use the lawmaker’s annual allowance for residents,” the former CEO of the Korea Railroad (Korail) said.
Huh said he is supported by the ruling party that has a majority of seats in the Assembly.
“I have served as a diplomat and the police head as well as the Korail CEO. I know how to work well,” he said.
Other liberal candidates, Kim Ji-sun of the Progressive Justice Party and Jung Tae-heung of the Unified Progressive Party (UPP), stumped around the town, particularly where working classes are heavily populated.
Despite early expectations stemming from concern about splitting the liberal vote, the opposition side did not field a unified candidate.
In the Yeongdo and Buyeo-Cheongyang districts, Saenuri Party candidates Kim Moo-sung and Lee Wan-koo are taking the lead.
Kim Bi-oh of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and the UPP’s Min Byung-ryul carried out their last campaign activities in Busan in the hope of turning the tables.