Kim secured 43,822 votes, or 61.65% of the total count

Kim Nam-jun, the Democratic Party of Korea's winner in the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election [Yonhap]
Kim Nam-jun, the Democratic Party of Korea's winner in the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election [Yonhap]

Democratic Party of Korea candidate Kim Nam-jun won the National Assembly by-election in Incheon's Gyeyang-eul district.

According to the National Election Commission, Kim secured 43,822 votes, or 61.65% of ballots counted Thursday, easily outpacing People Power Party candidate Shim Wang-seop, who received 18,005 votes (25.33%), and independent Kim Hyun-tae, who received 9,248 votes (13.01%).

Kim led from the earliest stages of the count and never relinquished first place. The Gyeyang-eul seat became vacant after President Lee Jae Myung — who had won the constituency in last year's presidential election — took office, triggering the by-election.

"I will faithfully carry out President Lee Jae Myung's campaign pledges," Kim said in his victory remarks. "I will deeply reflect on the weight of the mandate entrusted to me by the people and work even harder for the development of this region."

Kim's key campaign pledges included extending the Daejang-Hongdae Line to Gyeyang, directly linking Seoul Subway Line 9 with the Airport Railroad, attracting businesses to Gyeyang Techno Valley, easing regulations on development-restricted zones and military facilities, and redeveloping aging urban areas.

Then-Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae Myung recruited Kim as the city's spokesperson in 2014. Kim later served as press secretary to the Gyeonggi Province governor and as deputy chief of political coordination for the Democratic Party leadership.

Since Gyeyang-gu was divided into the Gap and Eul constituencies in 2004, eight National Assembly elections — including by-elections — have been held in Gyeyang-eul, with Democratic Party-affiliated parties winning seven of them. A conservative party has won the seat only once, in a 2010 by-election.


gilbert@heraldcorp.com