Jung says local election results secure governing momentum for 'Lee Jae-myung administration's first year'; expresses sorrow over narrow defeats of Oh Jung-ki and Kim Boo-kyum

Jung Chung-rae, the Democratic Party of Korea's overall standing campaign committee chairman, holds a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday. [Yonhap]
Jung Chung-rae, the Democratic Party of Korea's overall standing campaign committee chairman, holds a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday. [Yonhap]

Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed deep gratitude Thursday for what he called a sweeping national victory in the June 3 local elections, while acknowledging a painful setback. "I am deeply grateful to the people for delivering a great victory to the Democratic Party across the country," he said. "However, it hurts that we failed to retake Seoul."

Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly, Jung said the party would work alongside the Lee Jae-myung administration and newly elected local governments to normalize the country and open an era of genuine locally driven growth. "We will ensure that a capable Lee Jae-myung administration and capable local governments actively support each other to achieve national normalization and open a new era of shared, locally led prosperity," he said.

Jung described the vote as the first nationwide election held one year after the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration. "We earnestly asked the people to elect local leaders who would work hand in hand with the Lee Jae-myung administration, and I am once again deeply grateful to the people for heeding that call," he said, bowing his head.

Jung also offered condolences to candidates who fell short despite fierce campaigns in difficult terrain. "I extend my sympathy to the candidates who fought with everything they had but narrowly lost," he said. "I am particularly grateful and sorry to Oh Jung-ki, the North Gyeongsang Province gubernatorial candidate, who gave absolutely everything." Jung said he spoke with Oh by phone and was moved by his response. "He was laughing, saying he still got over 30 percent — hearing that left me with a hollow ache," Jung said. He added that Kim Boo-kyum, the Democratic Party's Daegu mayoral candidate, had devoted himself entirely to the campaign until the very end. "It is truly heartbreaking that he suffered such a narrow defeat," Jung said.

Jo Seung-rae, the party's secretary-general, who appeared alongside Jung at the press conference, offered the party's internal data analysis of the Seoul mayoral race, which the ruling party ultimately won despite a late Democratic Party push. "When we conducted our own tracking surveys, we were not exaggerating when we said it was a close contest," Jo said. "Our final internal survey showed the race was nearly tied."

On the reasons for the loss in Seoul, Jo pointed to several factors. "There are aspects related to the candidate — name recognition, public profile — and there is also the question of Seoul's demographic composition," he said. "Looking at various dimensions, we analyzed that this race was bound to become increasingly competitive."


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