Yoo Eui-dong wins Pyeongtaek by-election as liberal vote splits between rivals

PPP candidate secures fourth term after three-way race decided past 2 a.m.; combined progressive vote share reaches nearly 59%

People Power Party candidate Yoo Eui-dong raises his hand toward reporters at his campaign office in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday after his victory in the by-election for the Pyeongtaek B National Assembly seat was confirmed. [Yonhap]

People Power Party candidate Yoo Eui-dong won the by-election for the Pyeongtaek B National Assembly seat in Gyeonggi Province, securing a fourth term after a tight three-way race against Democratic Party of Korea candidate Kim Yong-nam and Rebuilding Korea Party candidate Cho Kuk. With no dominant front-runner, the split in the progressive vote proved decisive, handing the PPP an additional victory in a hard-fought district.

Yoo's win was not confirmed until after 2 a.m. Thursday. According to the National Election Commission's statistics system, Yoo had received 33,513 votes — a 34.83 percent share — as of 7 a.m. Thursday with 99.8 percent of ballots counted. Kim followed with 28.76 percent and Cho with 27.24 percent. The margin between Yoo and Kim stood at just 5,838 votes.

An exit poll released by the three major broadcasters — KBS, MBC and SBS — at 6 p.m. Wednesday had already signaled an extremely close contest, projecting Cho at 31.1 percent, Yoo at 30.6 percent and Kim at 30.3 percent. Early in the count, Kim and Cho traded the lead in what appeared to be a two-way race, but the picture shifted as more ballots were tallied.

Yoo visited his campaign office around 2 a.m. once his victory was assured. "I am deeply grateful to the citizens of Pyeongtaek for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to work again," he said. He added that he would work to establish Pyeongtaek as a central city of South Korea and ensure residents feel a tangible improvement in their lives.

Yoo is a veteran lawmaker who had previously won three consecutive terms in the Pyeongtaek B constituency. He entered politics as a secretary to former Prime Minister Lee Han-dong and first won a National Assembly seat in July 2014, when a by-election was held after then-incumbent Rep. Lee Jae-young was stripped of his seat for violating the Public Official Election Act. Running as a Saenuri Party candidate in that 19th National Assembly by-election, Yoo won and went on to retain the seat in the 20th and 21st general elections, serving as the PPP's policy committee chair and head of the Yeouido Institute. He ran in the newly created Pyeongtaek C constituency in the April 2024 22nd general election but was defeated.

Candidates in the Pyeongtaek B National Assembly by-election register at the Pyeongtaek City Election Commission in Gyeonggi Province on May 14. From left: Kim Yong-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea, Yoo Eui-dong of the People Power Party, Cho Kuk of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Kim Jae-yeon of the Progressive Party, and Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Freedom and Innovation Party. [Yonhap]

Analysts say the split in the progressive vote was a key factor in Yoo's victory. The left-leaning electorate was divided among Kim, Cho and Progressive Party candidate Kim Jae-yeon, whose combined vote share reached 58.95 percent. The failure to consolidate behind a single progressive candidate proved particularly damaging, as Kim and Cho finished with nearly identical tallies. On the conservative side, Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Freedom and Innovation Party also ran but drew far fewer votes from Yoo's potential pool, finishing with 6.19 percent.

The outcome is expected to shape post-election discussions on a merger between the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party, as well as Cho's political future. Throughout the campaign, Cho drew attention for his sharp attacks on Kim over past remarks about the Sewol ferry disaster and allegations surrounding Kim's ties to a consumer lending business.

soho0902@heraldcorp.com