SEOUL, June 03 (AJP) - Early vote counting for the June 3 local elections shows the ruling Democratic Party taking the lead in 14 of 16 metropolitan and provincial races, including the Seoul mayoral election.
The conservative People Power Party is leading in only one region, North Gyeongsang Province. If the current trend continues, the elections will end in a sweeping victory for the Democratic Party.
The early results suggest that voters in the first nationwide elections since President Lee Jae Myung took office a year ago are heavily backing the ruling party. The Democratic Party framed the election as a judgment on the 2024 insurrection and a vote for government stability, countering the opposition's calls to hold the current administration accountable.
According to the National Election Commission, 14.0 percent of all votes had been counted as of 10 p.m. Wednesday.
In the highly contested Seoul mayoral race, where 5.46 percent of votes have been counted, Democratic Party candidate Jung Won-oh is leading with 65.72 percent against People Power Party incumbent Oh Se-hoon, who has 31.88 percent. The counting rate remains below average in Seocho and Songpa districts, which are traditional conservative strongholds in the capital.
The Seoul mayoral race was marred by logistical issues earlier in the day when polling stations in Songpa, Gangnam, and Gwangjin districts ran out of ballot papers, leaving voters waiting in line. The People Power Party is demanding a halt to the vote counting and calling for a revote in the city.
In Gyeonggi Province, Democratic Party candidate Choo Mi-ae leads with 51.07 percent over the People Power Party's Yang Hyang-ja, who has 43.16 percent. In Incheon, Democratic Party candidate Park Chan-dae is ahead with 60.04 percent against the People Power Party's Yoo Jeong-bok at 39.04 percent.
The Democratic Party also took early leads in four regions that exit polls conducted by three major broadcasters had projected as tight races: Busan, Daegu, North Jeolla Province, and Gangwon Province.
In Busan, the Democratic Party's Jeon Jae-soo leads with 53.60 percent against the People Power Party's Park Hyung-jun. In Daegu, Kim Boo-kyum of the Democratic Party has 53.48 percent, leading the People Power Party's Choo Kyung-ho. In Gangwon Province, the Democratic Party's Woo Sang-ho is ahead of the People Power Party's Kim Jin-tae with 54.00 percent.
In North Jeolla Province, Democratic Party candidate Lee Won-taek is leading independent Kim Kwan-young with 52.52 percent to 41.37 percent.
Democratic Party candidates Min Hyung-bae in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City and Wi Seong-gon in Jeju Province are certain to win, securing 81.62 percent and 61.35 percent, respectively.
For the People Power Party, Lee Cheol-woo is the likely winner in North Gyeongsang Province with 64.64 percent.
The race for South Gyeongsang Province governor remains a dead heat with 14.98 percent of the votes counted. Democratic Party candidate Kim Kyoung-soo has 49.71 percent, narrowly trailing the People Power Party's Park Wan-soo at 50.28 percent.
The Democratic Party is also dominating the 14 parliamentary by-elections held alongside the local elections.
In the Busan Buk-gap district, with 8.7 percent of votes counted, Democratic Party candidate Ha Jung-woo is leading with 53.37 percent. He is comfortably ahead of independent Han Dong-hoon at 38.55 percent and the People Power Party's Park Min-shik at 8.06 percent.
In Gyeonggi Province's Pyeongtaek-eul district, where 6.1 percent of the vote has been counted, Rebuilding Korea Party candidate Cho Kuk is leading a three-way race with 38.12 percent. He is followed by the Democratic Party's Kim Yong-nam at 32.80 percent and the People Power Party's Yu Eui-dong at 23.76 percent.
In the Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang district of South Chungcheong Province, Democratic Party candidate Kim Young-bin leads with 55.06 percent against the People Power Party's Yoon Yong-geun at 39.26 percent, with 10.48 percent of votes counted.
In Ulsan's Nam-gap district, traditionally considered a conservative stronghold, Democratic Party candidate Jeon Tae-jin is leading with 57.41 percent against the People Power Party's Kim Tae-gyu at 37.40 percent, based on a counting rate of 8.7 percent.
In Gyeonggi Province's Hanam-gap district, which saw a razor-thin margin in the previous general election, Democratic Party candidate Lee Kwang-jae is leading with 66.42 percent against the People Power Party's Lee Yong at 31.66 percent, with 14.0 percent of the vote counted.
The People Power Party is securing a significant lead in Daegu's Dalseong-gun district, where Lee Jin-sook has 64.54 percent compared to the Democratic Party's Park Hyung-ryong at 35.45 percent, with 32.3 percent of the vote counted.
Of the 14 seats contested in the by-elections, 13 were previously held by the Democratic Party and one by the People Power Party.
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