Interest Grows Whether People's Power Candidate Joo Ki-hwan Will Achieve 20% Vote Share in Democratic Party Stronghold Gwangju

Exit Polls by Three Major Broadcasters Predict Conservative Party's Highest Ever '15.4%'

President Yoon Seok-yeol's Longstanding Connection... Classified as Closest Ally in Honam Region

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] In the 8th nationwide simultaneous local elections for the Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attention is focused on whether the conservative party candidate's vote share can surpass the elusive 20% mark.

According to the exit polls announced at 7:30 PM on the voting day, the 1st of the month, by the three terrestrial broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS), Ju Gi-hwan, the People Power Party candidate for Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, is predicted to receive 15.4% of the vote.

The 15.4% is the highest vote share ever achieved by a conservative party candidate in the history of Gwangju mayoral elections.

The highest vote share to date was 14.22%, obtained by Jeong Yong-hwa, the then Hannara Party candidate, in the 2010 election.

Ju Gi-hwan’s campaign office, which was expected to lose the election, actually erupted in cheers rather than gloom as soon as the exit poll results were announced.

Candidate Ju said, "We have finally achieved 15% in Gwangju, a stronghold of the Democratic Party," and added, "Today will be the stepping stone for Gwangju, which had been monopolized by the Democratic Party, to realize proper democratic politics."

He continued, "We must not be complacent with this, but work hard for the development of Gwangju," emphasizing, "This is just the beginning."

A People Power Party official said, "It would be great if the actual results exceed the exit polls and surpass 20%," adding, "A one-party monopoly system by a specific party is not good for regional development."

Meanwhile, candidate Ju Gi-hwan is known as a close associate of President Yoon Seok-yeol in the Honam region. When President Yoon was serving as a prosecutor in the Special Investigation Division of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office in 2002, Ju worked as an investigator alongside him, forming a connection. They have maintained steady contact since then.

Ju was also by President Yoon’s side when he worked at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Central Investigation Department in 2011. Even after President Yoon stepped down from the Prosecutor General position last year, Ju supported his political activities.

It is known that President Yoon always sought Ju’s company when visiting Gwangju during his presidential campaign and accompanied him to places such as the May 18 Democratic Cemetery.

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