SEOUL, June 03 (AJP) - What are candidates doing in the final hours before the results of South Korea’s June 3 local elections come in?
AJP asked candidates across the country how they were spending election day as they waited for exit polls and vote counting to begin.
For some, the day was spent making last-minute calls to encourage voter turnout. Others said they were thanking supporters, reflecting on the grueling campaign trail or quietly preparing for whatever political future awaits after the ballots are counted.
“I desperately want to work alongside the residents of our region,” said Kim Young-bin, the Democratic Party (DP) candidate in the by-election for a parliamentary seat representing Gongju, Buyeo and Cheongyang in South Chungcheong Province.
“Right now, I am calling voters one by one to encourage them to cast their ballots.”
Yang Hyang-ja, the People Power Party (PPP) candidate for governor of Gyeonggi Province, said she had spent the entire day on the phone.
“Today, I calmly spent the day making calls to encourage voting and to thank supporters,” she said.
“I only made phone calls all day. I’m nervous. Regardless of the election result, I think of this as a new beginning for myself.”
Lee Myung-soo, a candidate for South Chungcheong superintendent of education, said he would watch the exit polls and vote count “with the mindset of ‘Jininsa daechunmyeong,’” referring to the Korean expression meaning that one should do one’s best and then leave the outcome to heaven.
Shim Wang-seop, the PPP candidate in the Incheon Gyeyang-gu by-election, said he was watching election coverage while reflecting on frustrations from the campaign.
“I’m watching the election broadcasts and talking about what happened during the campaign period,” he said.
“We should have been fighting against the Democratic Party, but instead we were competing against an independent candidate, which was utterly pathetic. Jeon Han-gil and his group were truly terrible people. They were devils wearing the mask of conservatives. I even felt sorry for the naive Kim Hyun-tae.”
Park Il-ha, a former Dongjak District mayor now running for the Reform Party in the Dongjak mayoral race, said he was responding to messages from voters while waiting for results.
“Residents did not turn away from the district mayor in this election,” he said. “Many people have been cheering me on and sending encouraging calls and text messages, and I’ve been responding to them while waiting for the results.”
Lee Jung-hyun, the PPP candidate for mayor of Gwangju, said he spent part of the day climbing Mount Mudeung, a symbol of the southwestern city.
“I encouraged election staff and then climbed Mount Mudeung in Gwangju,” he said.
“Afterward, I’m having tea at the Uijae Museum of Korean Art while thinking about the direction the People Power Party should take in the future. I’m considering what the party can proactively do regarding the integration of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, and how the party should change after the local elections.”
Choi Hyun-deok, the DP candidate for mayor of Namyangju, said he was calmly awaiting the outcome.
“I’ve spent the afternoon encouraging people to vote and making thank-you calls to supporters who have backed me throughout the campaign,” he said. “I’m calmly waiting for the results.”
Yoo Ho-joon, the DP candidate for the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, said exhaustion from the campaign had taken a physical toll.
“I’m calling people who helped with the election campaign to thank them,” he said. “I’m nervous, but at the same time excited because it feels like the end of a long campaign schedule is finally in sight. Physically, it was so demanding that I lost 10 kilograms during the campaign.”
Lee Jin-hwan, the DP candidate for the Namyangju City Council, said he was already thinking about what comes next after the election.
“I’m at the Namyangju campaign office waiting for the exit polls,” he said. “Starting tomorrow, after the vote count ends, I’m thinking about how we can change the region for the better.”
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