Jeon Jae-soo Wins Busan Mayoral Election, Thanks Voters for Choosing Change

Jeon Jae-soo of the Democratic Party has been elected as the Mayor of Busan, defeating Park Hyung-jun of the People Power Party in one of the key battlegrounds of the June 3 local elections. This marks the first time a Democratic Party candidate has held the Busan mayoralty since Oh Geo-don was elected eight years ago.

According to the National Election Commission, as of 3:30 a.m., with 95.42% of the votes counted, Jeon secured 50.40% of the votes, while Park received 48.04%.

Upon confirmation of his victory, Jeon stated, "I take the wishes of the Busan citizens who chose change very seriously and I promise to work hard, work hard, and work hard again. I am truly grateful and thankful."

He added, "While I am happy about my election, I am also aware that there are many more who lost than those who won. As mayor, I will do my utmost to ensure that the Democratic Party earns the trust of even more Busan citizens."

Jeon acknowledged the challenges of campaigning in Busan, saying, "I felt once again how difficult it is to run an election in Busan, especially for those who lost, including Ha Jung-woo, who ran for the National Assembly in the North Busan Gap district. I take full responsibility for the shortcomings as the mayoral candidate." He concluded by promising to channel the passion and efforts of those who lost into revitalizing Busan.

Park Hyung-jun, who was seeking a third term as mayor, congratulated Jeon on his victory, stating, "I will now finish the 8th term of the elected administration and return to being a citizen of Busan to support its development."