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Re-elected Mayor Oh Se-hoon steps closer to big dream

Oh Se-hoon, first row center, incumbent Seoul Mayor and the candidate of the ruling People Power Party for the Seoul mayoral election, raises hands with his campaign team in celebration in Seoul, Wednesday, as he watches TV coverage of an exit poll showing Oh being projected to win the election over Song Young-gil, the candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geunBy Kwon Mee-yooIncumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has won another term in the election against Song Young-gil of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). With the victory, he is poised to become a potential candidate for the next presidential election. The Seoul mayoral post has long been considered a springboard for the presidency. Former President Lee Myung-bak was mayor of the city before his landslide victory in the 2007 presidential election. As the vote count wrapped up, Oh secured 59 percent of the votes, whereas his rival Song scored 39.2 percent. The support trend appearing in actual votes counted was in line with the exit poll re

Jun 1, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
Re-elected Mayor Oh Se-hoon steps closer to big dream

Ruling party scores landslide victory in local elections

Lee Jun-seok, center in front row, chairman of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), claps as exit poll results appear on TV on Thursday after voting for the local and by-elections ended. Other ranking PPP members, who gathered at the National Assembly, celebrated as the party was predicted to win the elections. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulPPP grabs 12 out of 17 governor, mayoral posts By Ko Dong-hwan The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has scored a landslide victory in Wednesday's local elections, as its candidates defeated their opponents in most key regions.According to votes counted as of 6:50 a.m. Thursday, with more than 99 percent of votes counted nationwide on average, PPP candidates won in 12 out of 17 elections to select metropolitan mayors and provincial governors. The PPP's Seoul mayoral candidate, Oh Se-hoon, defeated DPK candidate Song Young-gil. Oh scored 59 percent, compared to Song's 39 percent. The ruling party's Incheon mayoral candidate, Yoo Jeong-bok won over the DPK's Park Nam-choon by securing more than 51 percent. Park's rate was 44 percent. Kim Eun-hye,

Jun 1, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan
Ruling party scores landslide victory in local elections

Casting ballots in optical store: Korea's unusual polling stations

A voter hands over his identification card to an election official before he is given ballot papers at a polling station installed at an optical store in eastern Seoul's Gwangjin District, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Lee Hae-rinA total of 14,465 polling stations were installed for over 44 million eligible voters to cast their ballots in the June 1 local elections. Many of them were located in schools, government offices and community centers which are easily accessible and well-known to local residents. But some polling stations were set up in unlikely places.These venues included an optical store, car showroom, barbecue restaurant, coffee shop and taekwondo gym. These private business establishments had consented to lend their space to the National Election Commission (NEC) for the day. According to an NEC official, the commission's standards for selecting a polling venue include its accessibility for the disabled and proximity to public transportation. These locations are also supposed to be known to the residents, so that they don't have trouble finding them whe

Jun 1, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
Casting ballots in optical store: Korea's unusual polling stations

Voter turnout hits lowest since 2002

Next to empty polling booths, a voter fill in ballots at a polling station in Oksu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooThe total turnout for Wednesday's local elections was tentatively tallied at 50.9 percent, the lowest since the 2002 local elections, the election watchdog said.According to the National Election Commission, a total of 22.57 million out of 44.3 million eligible voters had casted their ballots as of 7:30 p.m., Wednesday. In the early voting period on Friday and Saturday, more than 9.13 million people voted to log a 20.62 percent turnout, which was 0.48 percentage points higher compared to four years earlier. The turnout for Wednesday's local elections was 9.3 percentage points lower compared to the previous 2018 local elections which saw 60.2 percent. The lowest turnout was recorded in 2002 when only 48.9 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots. By region, Gwangju showed the lowest turnout of 37.7 percent in this year's local elections, while South Jeolla Province had the highest of 58.5 percent. Pundits attributed the lower-than-ex

Jun 1, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Voter turnout hits lowest since 2002

Slow pace seen at polling stations in Seoul reflects low voter turnout

A voter inserts ballots into a box at a polling station in Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Lee Hyo-jin The local elections on June 1 were marked by clear skies and warm weather, which apparently created a perfect environment for many people to bypass the polling stations and head outdoors for picnics instead. In fact, the weather may have been one of the culprits behind the low voter turnout.Voters began to trickle into a polling station in Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul, at around 10 a.m. But the pace did not pick up as the morning progressed, with only a few voters being seen. And those who showed up in the morning hours to exercise their right were mostly elderly voters.Among the total 270,219 eligible voters in the district, 59,095 ― or 21.75 percent ― already voted during the two-day early voting period which took place last weekend, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).“It was a little crowded early in the morning, but compared to the March 9 presidential election,

Jun 1, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Slow pace seen at polling stations in Seoul reflects low voter turnout

Ruling party PPP wins 10 of 17 key local election races: KBS-MBC-SBS exit poll

Members of the ruling People Power Party cheer after watching exit poll results for the 8th local elections at the National Assembly, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulThe ruling People Power Party (PPP) was projected to win 10 of the 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts, including Seoul mayor, in Wednesday's local elections, according to a joint exit poll by three major TV broadcasters.The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) was expected to grab four posts, including the governorships in the Jeolla provinces, according to the poll conducted by KBS, MBC and SBS.Three races, including the contest for Gyeonggi govenor, were too close to call. In a separate exit poll by broadcaster JTBC, the PPP was projected to win nine metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts.Being contested in this year's local elections are 17 metropolitan mayoralties and provincial governorships, 226 lower-level administrative leadership positions, as well as 872 seats in provincial and metropolitan councils, and 2,988 in lower-level local councils.The elections came less than a month a

Jun 1, 2022
Ruling party PPP wins 10 of 17 key local election races: KBS-MBC-SBS exit poll

Ex-supporters explain why they 'walked away' from Democratic Party

A woman prepares to cast her vote for local elections to elect mayors, governors, council members and education superintendents at a polling station in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Jung Min-hoIt was a party they trusted only four years ago. When the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won 14 out of 17 metropolitan mayor and governor posts, in the biggest-ever local election victory by any party, some party leaders said that the landslide would be only the beginning of its long reign.But it wasn't.Barring an unprecedented polling error, the liberal DPK is expected to lose at least 10 of the key posts after the June 1 elections.Some people who voted for the party in previous elections told The Korea Times Tuesday that they have lost trust in it largely due to its incompetence and hypocrisy. “I will never vote for the DPK, not just this election but ever again,” said Cheong, 31, a Seoul travel company employee who had previously voted only for liberal parties, mostly the DPK. “Housing prices skyrocketed during the Moon Jae-in government. But the DPK, which has control over b

Jun 1, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Ex-supporters explain why they 'walked away' from Democratic Party

Long way to go for inclusive politics in Korea

Yagya Raj Subedi, a naturalized Korean from Nepal who ran for a Gyeonggi Province Assembly seat, speaks in a YouTube video uploaded on May 7. Screenshot from Democratic Party of Korea's Gyeonggi Province branch YouTube channelNaturalized Korean candidates face disadvantages amid prejudice, xenophobiaBy Lee Hae-rinAspiring politicians go through a complicated thought process before deciding to run for election. This is because, as someone succinctly put it, elections are an all-or-nothing game for candidates ― they get everything if they win. But the opposite also holds true; they lose everything when defeated. Elections require candidates to have sufficient financial support to cover their campaigns, enough physical strength to follow a cruelly busy schedule and the resolve to overcome challenges against all odds. For foreign-born candidates, there is one more hurdle they have to overcome in the run to the finish: ethnic nationalism. These candidates may face prejudice and xenophobia from some voters.Kim Man-ui, 47, a naturalized Korean who is originally from China, decided to run in

Jun 1, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
Long way to go for inclusive politics in Korea

Uncontested winners: record-high 509 candidates win elections by default

gettyimagesbankBy Kang Seung-wooWhile most candidates who ran in Wednesday's local elections labored to appeal to voters, 509 did not have to because they didn't have any opponents to compete with.According to the National Election Commission, 7,616 candidates registered for the local elections to compete for 4,125 seats that included 17 mayoral and gubernatorial seats as well as education superintendents and posts for numerous local councils, but a record 509 secured wins by running unopposed. Compared with four years ago, the figure amounts to an over-five-fold increase from 89. Taking a closer look, 107 candidates who ran for Seoul's district council, comprised of 373 members, were guaranteed to be elected without a vote, while the race for the Seoul Metropolitan Council also saw two uncontested winners ― for the first time in eight years. By party, all but one candidate for the Jeju education council belong to the two major parties, with 282 from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and 226 from the ruling People Power Party (PPP). Candidates for education superin

Jun 1, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Uncontested winners: record-high 509 candidates win elections by default

Independent candidates fear losing out as voters mark 7 paper ballots

Seven paper ballots for local elections are seen at an early voting station in Incheon International Airport, May 26. During the June 1 local elections, most voters have to vote on seven ballots, from metropolitan mayors to lower-level council members. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooVoters have gone to the polls once again to vote in local elections and National Assembly by-elections on Wednesday, about three months after the presidential election. Unlike the presidential election in which voters marked only one paper ballot to choose the country's leader, this time voters in most of the electoral districts were given seven ballots. Those who live in the eight constituencies where by-elections for Assembly seats were held concurrently had to mark eight ballot papers. A handful of colorful ballots could cause confusion as voters have to choose candidates for city councils as well as education superintendents. Voters being requested to mark seven or eight different ballot papers to select their favorite candidates could give some disadvantage to independent candidates and lower-level council hea

Jun 1, 2022By Kwon Mee-yoo
Independent candidates fear losing out as voters mark 7 paper ballots
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