[Politics, That Day...] The 4 AM Reversal, A Cliffhanger Battle Between Heaven and Hell

The Face of the Changed Winner the Day After the June 2010 Seoul Mayoral Election... Who Will Be the Main Contender in the 21st General Election's Intense Battle?

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] ‘Politics, On That Day…’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

Broadcaster Choi Bul-am (from left), his wife Kim Min-ja, and Park Young-soo, Secretary General of the Central Election Commission, visited the Namyeong-dong early voting station set up at Seoul Station on the morning of the 10th, the first day of early voting for the 21st National Assembly election, and after casting their votes, they are putting the ballots into the ballot box. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

If you were to pick a situation that produced a ‘historic scene’ in a nationwide election, the 2010 Seoul mayoral election cannot be left out. It was an election full of surprises and twists. It created scenes worthy of a movie or drama script.

The beginning of the turnaround was the opinion polls. Seoul, the most watched region in the June 2, 2010 local elections, seemed to be a one-sided race dominated by Grand National Party candidate Oh Se-hoon. This was because most opinion polls showed him comfortably ahead beyond the margin of error.

The Democratic Party candidate Han Myeong-sook’s camp claimed that “the grassroots sentiment is different” and predicted a turnaround on election day, but the political circles in Yeouido showed little interest. This was because opinion polls were perceived as a measure reflecting public sentiment based on the image of ‘the science of numbers.’

While it was possible to argue that there might be errors in the opinion polls, it was difficult to prove clearly. The first shock came from the joint exit poll results by the three major broadcasters on election day. At 6 p.m. on June 2, the broadcasters’ prediction showed Grand National Party candidate Oh Se-hoon at 47.4% and Democratic Party candidate Han Myeong-sook at 47.2%, a razor-thin race.

On the first day of early voting for the 21st National Assembly election on the 10th, citizens are casting their precious votes wearing plastic gloves at the Namyeong-dong early voting station set up at Seoul Station. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Grand National Party went into emergency mode. Considering the election trend at the time, it was hard to imagine losing Seoul, the political heartland. Both Oh Se-hoon and Han Myeong-sook tried to maintain their composure. They sensed that the ultra-close race could result in either victory or defeat.

As the vote counting proceeded, another shockwave followed. Han Myeong-sook was leading Oh Se-hoon during the counting. Would Han Myeong-sook emerge as the winner, defying most predictions in Yeouido? The counting process was literally a series of nail-biting scenes.

The real twist happened not on election day but at 4 a.m. the next day. The fates of Han Myeong-sook, who had been leading, and Oh Se-hoon, who was trailing, reversed. Those who went to bed confirming Han Myeong-sook’s lead were met with a surprising situation the next morning.

The breaking news of Oh Se-hoon’s confirmed victory was announced at 8:26 a.m. on June 3, the day after the election. The election ended at 6 p.m. the previous day, but the winner was only confirmed the next morning. The final results showed Oh Se-hoon with 47.43% and Han Myeong-sook with 46.83% of the vote. It ended with an ultra-close margin of 0.6%.

Seoul Mayor-elect Oh Se-hoon released a meaningful victory speech saying, “I will accept today’s victory with a humble heart, as if I have actually been defeated.” Both Oh Se-hoon’s and Han Myeong-sook’s camps experienced heaven and hell that day.

So, what was the mood of Seoul’s public at the time? Was the situation as favorable to the Grand National Party as the opinion polls suggested? Although the Grand National Party won the Seoul mayoral election, it was like a house of mourning. Among the 25 district mayor elections in Seoul, the Democratic Party produced 21 district mayors.

On the first day of early voting for the 21st National Assembly election on the 10th, citizens are casting their precious votes at the Namyeong-dong early voting station set up at Seoul Station. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Immediately after the breaking news of Oh Se-hoon’s confirmed victory, then Grand National Party leader Chung Mong-joon resigned, taking responsibility for the June 2 local election defeat. The party leadership faced a vacuum without time to enjoy the joy of winning the Seoul mayoral election.

Which regions will produce nail-biting victories in the 21st general election? Compared to the Seoul mayoral election, the number of voters in constituency elections is smaller, so it is unlikely that counting will continue until dawn the next day, but it is hard to predict what scenes will unfold if the counting is delayed. Especially in closely contested constituencies, there is a high possibility of nail-biting battles where candidates’ fortunes fluctuate with each ballot box opened.

At the moment when fate changes, someone may once again experience the journey between heaven and hell.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.