Seoul: In a significant series of regional by-elections, both the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) secured victories in their respective strongholds, maintaining a status quo that reflects ongoing partisan divides within the country. The results, revealed Thursday, spared both parties’ leaderships from potential setbacks, with the elections acting as a barometer of public opinion on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration, which is currently midway through its term.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the by-elections, held on Wednesday, were crucial for filling five local administrative positions. These included the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and leadership for Busan’s Geumjeong District, Incheon’s Ganghwa County, and Yeonggwang and Gokseong counties in South Jeolla Province. The PPP claimed victories in Busan’s Geumjeong District with candidate Yoon Il-hyun and in Incheon’s Ganghwa County with Park Yong-cheol, both areas where the
party has traditionally held sway. These wins are particularly poignant as they follow the PPP’s significant losses in the April 10 parliamentary elections, which had led to a dip in both the party and President Yoon’s approval ratings.
The opposition DP also saw success, with Cho Sang-rae winning in Gokseong County and Chang Sae-il in Yeonggwang County. Additionally, in Seoul, a notable win was secured by Jung Keun-sik, a progressive and professor emeritus of sociology at Seoul National University, who was elected as the education chief. This election followed the removal of the previous officeholder who had received a suspended prison sentence for abuse of power.
The elections were not only a test of party strength but also had implications for the leadership within both the PPP and DP, as party chiefs Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jae-myung are considered potential presidential candidates. The PPP’s Han, in a statement via Facebook, emphasized the election outcomes as a chance for “change” and “reform,” aligning
with public desires for improvement in governance. Similarly, DP’s Lee stressed the importance of local self-governance and declared his intent to prevent any governmental backsliding, reflecting on the democratic values upheld by the electorate’s choices.
Voter turnout was notably varied, with an overall participation rate of 24.62 percent among the 8.6 million eligible voters. The turnout was particularly higher in the elections outside of Seoul, indicating increased voter engagement in regional administrative roles compared to the capital.
These by-election results provide a snapshot of the political landscape as President Yoon’s term progresses, with both major parties holding their ground in traditional strongholds but facing the challenge of navigating a politically charged environment marked by public scrutiny and demands for effective governance.