Democratic Party picks up 9 additional districts including Jongno and Dongjak; Han River belt expands; People Power Party holds Gangnam 4 and Yongsan
The Democratic Party of Korea swept Seoul's district mayor elections Thursday, flipping the balance of power from 17 People Power Party seats and 8 Democratic Party seats to the exact reverse — 17 for the Democratic Party and 8 for the PPP.
According to the National Election Commission, the Democratic Party held its existing 8 districts — Seongdong, Jungnang, Seongbuk, Gangbuk-gu, Nowon, Eunpyeong, Gangseo, Guro and Geumcheon — and added 9 more: Jongno, Dongdaemun, Dobong, Seodaemun, Mapo, Yeongdeungpo and Dongjak. The PPP secured wins in 8 districts: Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa, Gangdong, Yongsan, Jung-gu, Yangcheon and Gwangjin-gu.
The Democratic Party swept its traditional strongholds in the southwestern and northern parts of Seoul. In Guro, Democratic Party candidate Jang In-hong won with 51.97 percent of the vote. In Geumcheon, Democratic Party candidate Choi Ki-chan secured victory. In Gwanak, Democratic Party candidate Park Jun-hee defeated PPP candidate Lee Nam-hyeong to win a third term.
In Gangseo, Democratic Party candidate Jin Kyo-hoon defeated PPP candidate Kim Jin-seon to secure reelection. In Yeongdeungpo, Democratic Party candidate Jo Yu-jin defeated PPP candidate Choi Ung-sik. In Eunpyeong, Democratic Party candidate Kim Mi-kyeong won, becoming the first woman to serve three consecutive terms as a district mayor. In Jungnang, incumbent district mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi of the Democratic Party secured reelection. In Gangbuk-gu, Democratic Party candidate Jeong Chang-su won — the district had drawn attention after the PPP withdrew its nomination from candidate Lee Seung-hun over controversy surrounding his past legal work defending a child sex offender.
The Democratic Party extended its reach into the Han River belt by winning Dongjak and Mapo. The PPP had campaigned in the real estate-sensitive Han River corridor on pledges of deregulation and faster urban redevelopment, but Democratic Party candidates countered with their own campaign pledges of accelerated redevelopment projects.
Ultimately, public sentiment favoring support for President Lee Jae-myung and the ruling party carried the day. In Mapo — a closely watched rematch between the seventh- and eighth-term district mayors — Democratic Party candidate Yu Dong-gyun won with 53.97 percent of the vote. In Dongjak, where the race became a three-way contest after both a PPP candidate and incumbent district mayor Park Il-ha entered the field, Democratic Party candidate Ryu Sam-yeong emerged victorious.
The PPP successfully defended its traditional strongholds in the Gangnam 4 districts and Yongsan. In Seocho, PPP candidate Jeon Seong-su secured reelection with 66.40 percent, defeating Democratic Party candidate Hwang In-sik, who received 33.60 percent. In Gangnam — where incumbent district mayor Jo Seong-myeong was cut from the PPP ticket — PPP candidate Kim Hyeon-gi won early with 65.89 percent of the vote.
In Songpa, PPP candidate Seo Gang-seok defeated Democratic Party candidate Jo Jae-hee to claim victory. In Gangdong, incumbent district mayor Lee Su-hee of the PPP secured reelection.
In Yongsan, PPP candidate Kim Gyeong-dae won with 52.31 percent, defeating Democratic Party candidate Kang Tae-ung. The race drew attention as a contest between a Democratic Party candidate who had stepped down from a higher-profile race and Kim, who was running for district mayor for the second time. In Gwangjin-gu, incumbent district mayor Kim Gyeong-ho of the PPP won reelection with 52.44 percent.
Seongdong was another closely watched district, as voters chose a successor to Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o. Yu Bo-hwa, the Democratic Party candidate who had fought through a competitive primary to reach the general election, defeated PPP candidate Go Jae-hyeon. Seongdong had been the first district where PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok campaigned in person at the start of the election season. Former President Lee Myung-bak also lent his support to Go, joining him for a walk through Seoul Forest.
cook@heraldcorp.com
