DP floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo trailing in Seocho-B

The PPP's Shin Dong-wook, a former news anchor for TV Chosun, is projected to claim the seat in the historical conservative stronghold.

Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo, running in Seoul's Seocho-B District, speaks during a policy conference in southern Seoul on March 14. [YONHAP]

The candidate of the People Power Party (PPP), Shin Dong-wook, is pulling ahead in Seoul’s Seocho-B District against Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo of the Democratic Party (DP) as of Wednesday evening.

Shin is leading by 27.27 percentage points with 63.63 percent of votes counted as of 10 p.m. Wednesday in a traditional stronghold for the PPP. Hong has received 36.36 percent, with the vote count standing at 29.91 percent.

Former TV Chosun anchor Shin Dong-wook, the People Power Party candidate running for Seoul's Seocho-B constituency, speaks at his party's headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 29. [NEWS1]

Shin, a former TV Chosun anchor, is new to the political scene. He had been promoting his “fresh” profile as a politician, stressing that a victory for him could invigorate Seocho's development through efforts as "a team" with the central government, the PPP and the Seoul city government.

Hong, the DP floor leader, is an experienced politician serving his third term as a lawmaker. He also served as the party's spokesperson.

An exit poll jointly conducted by the three terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS projected that Shin will win with 54.8 percent to Hong's 45.2 percent.

The poll surveyed 359,750 voters at 1,980 polling stations nationwide as voting was underway, and had a 95-percent confidence interval with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 to 7.4 percentage points.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]