Lee Jun-seok on Exit Poll Results: "Thankful for National Support... Regretful About Gyeyang-eul"

Exit Polls from Three Broadcasters Show People Power Party Leading in 10 out of 17 Metropolitan Mayoral Elections

Representative Lee Jun-seok of the People Power Party, Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong, and other lawmakers are cheering as they watch the exit poll results announced in the vote counting situation room set up in the National Assembly Library auditorium on the 1st. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Following exit polls showing the People Power Party (PPP) leading the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in the 8th local elections held on the 1st, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the PPP, expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am thankful for the support the people have given us."

In an interview with KBS after the exit polls were announced by the three major broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS) that afternoon, Lee said, "Following the presidential election victory, I am grateful for the opportunity to take charge of a significant portion of local administration." According to the exit polls by the three broadcasters, the PPP showed dominance in 10 out of 17 metropolitan mayoral elections, while the DPK led in 4, with 3 races being closely contested.

Lee stated, "Looking at Honam, candidate Joo Ki-hwan for Gwangju mayor, candidate Cho Bae-sook for Jeonbuk governor, candidate Lee Jeong-hyun for Jeonnam governor, and candidate Heo Hyang-jin in Jeju all achieved good vote shares," adding, "I thank the people who have laid the foundation for us to be a legitimate second party competing in Honam."

Regarding the prediction of tight races in Gyeonggi, Daejeon, and Sejong, Lee explained, "Sejong has never had a winning candidate from our party, so if the race is close and candidate Choi In-ho wins, it would be very meaningful," and added, "In Daejeon, I believe candidate Lee Jang-woo's strong performance against the incumbent mayor is significant." He continued, "We will watch the results until the end, and since the Gyeonggi race was expected to be very close, we will focus and monitor it carefully."

In the by-elections for the National Assembly held alongside the local elections, Incheon Gyeyang-eul is predicted to be led by Lee Jae-myung, the DPK candidate. Lee commented, "I think the reason Lee Jae-myung chose to run in Incheon Gyeyang-gu is because the Democratic Party has a strong base there," and said, "Candidate Yoon Hyung-sun also fought a commendable battle that no one can blame and everyone can be proud of."

However, Lee also expressed some regret. In an interview with MBC, he said, "Honestly, I had higher expectations for Incheon Gyeyang-eul and Jeju, so it is disappointing."

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