Heavyweights perform well in crucial toss-up districts

Incumbents performed well in key battleground districts during Wednesday's general election, though some political heavyweights barely scraped by after nail-biting vote counts.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung smiles after securing victory for Incheon's Gyeyang-B constituency at his election war room on Thursday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Incumbents performed well in key battleground districts during Wednesday's general election, though some political heavyweights barely scraped by after nail-biting vote counts.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) leader, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, clinched victory over former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong in Incheon’s Gyeyang-B District.

Lee secured 54.12 percent of the 89,354 votes cast in the electoral district, beating Won of the People Power Party (PPP), who received 45.45 percent.

The district was considered a constituency that could significantly impact the country’s political landscape, with heavyweight politicians competing in the race.

Lee's victory secures his second term representing the district, traditionally a liberal stronghold.

The DP leader won the district's by-election in June 2022 with 55.24 percent of the votes following defeat in the presidential election in March of the same year.

People Power Party candidate Na Kyung-won speaks at an election office in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, confirming her close victory for the Dongjak-B constituency on Thursday. [YONHAP]

In Seoul, PPP’s Na Kyung-won beat Ryu Sam-young of the DP for the Dongjak-B District, contrary to an exit poll projection that the liberal candidate would win.

Na successfully reclaimed her representation of the constituency, receiving 54.01 percent of the 116,115 votes cast in the electoral district. Ryu received 45.98 percent.

The district, a key battleground in the so-called Han River belt consisting of 11 electoral districts, was the most visited constituency in Seoul by DP leader Lee Jae-myung during the election campaign period.

The final voter turnout in Dongjak District was 72.2 percent and was the highest among the capital's 25 districts, according to the National Election Commission.

Na, now a five-term lawmaker, was elected to represent Dongjak-B district in a by-election in 2014 and reelected for the same constituency in 2016.

People Power Party Rep. Kwon Young-se hurrahs after confirming his close victory to represent Seoul's Yongsan District at an election office on Thursday. [NEWS1]

In Yongsan, located at the center of the Han River belt, Rep. Kwon Young-se beat DP candidate Kang Tae-woong. Kwon won 51.77 percent of the votes, while Kang won 47.02 percent, as the two traded first and second places throughout the count into the early hours of Thursday.

Kwon, a four-term lawmaker, was an ambassador to China between June 2013 and March 2015 under the Park Geun-hye administration and unification minister from May 2022 to July 2023 under the Yoon administration.

Bereaved families of the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush had protested the reelection of Kwon as he faced criticism for backing the chief of Yongsan District Office, Park Hee-young, and was known to be the first person to whom Park reported the tragedy.

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

Another PPP candidate won the race for Seoul’s Seocho-B District, with Shin Dong-wook, a former news anchor, securing victory over DP Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo.

Shin received 57.49 percent of the 135,042 votes in a traditional stronghold for the PPP. Hong received 42.50 percent.

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

Democratic Party’s Choo Mi-ae waves to residents in Hanam, Gyeonggi, after claiming a victory for the district on Thursday. [NEWS1]

In Gyeonggi, the DP’s Choo Mi-ae beat PPP Rep. Lee Yong in Hanam-A District in an extremely close race that ended with only 1,199 votes separating the two candidates.

Choo won 50.58 percent of the votes, while Lee received 49.41 percent.

Choo will now become a six-term lawmaker and is a strong contender for speaker of the National Assembly.

Choo served as justice minister under the Moon Jae-in administration from January 2020 to January 2021 and was leader of the DP between August 2016 and August 2018.

People Power Party Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo hurrahs after confirming his close victory for Bundang-A District in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, at an election office on Thursday. [JOING PRESS CORPS]

In Bundang-A District, PPP Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo won by 6.55 percentage points over his liberal rival, the DP’s Lee Kwang-jae.

Ahn received 53.27 percent of 165,167 votes cast in the electoral district, beating Lee, who had 46.72 percent.

The race was considered a major showdown between two big shots of the rival parties, as both candidates took leadership roles within their respective election committees.

The PPP’s Ahn, a software mogul-turned-politician, is a three-term lawmaker and the district incumbent. He won the by-election for a parliamentary seat representing Bundang-A District in June 2022.

Ahn ran in the presidential elections in 2012, 2017 and 2022, withdrawing in two of them and coming in third in the 2017 election behind former President Moon Jae-in. In 2021, he suspended his campaign for mayor of Seoul.

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, smiles after seeing an exit poll projection at an election office in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

In Hwaseong-B District, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the Reform Party, secured his first parliamentary seat in a close race against the DP’s Gong Young-woon.

Lee won 42.41 percent of the total 122,944 votes cast in the district, while Gong secured 39.73 percent. PPP candidate Han Jung-min came in third place with 17.85 percent.

Lee, the ousted PPP leader, parted ways with the conservative party in December last year after a yearslong feud with President Yoon Suk Yeol, and founded the Reform Party. Young male voters in their 20s to 40s form his key political base.

He previously contested and lost elections for a parliamentary seat in 2016, 2018 and 2020.

Democratic Party Rep. Min Hyung-bae shouts in joy after seeing an exit poll projection at an election office in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

However, in Gwangju's Gwangsan-B District, Lee Nak-yon, former prime minister and leader of the Saemirae Party, suffered a massive loss to the incumbent DP Rep. Min Hyung-bae. Min secured 76.09 percent of the votes, while Lee lagged far behind with only 13.84 percent.

Min, a journalist-turned-politician, won the 2020 general election in Gwangsan-B District. He served as mayor of Gwangsan District from 2010 to 2018.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO, SHIN HA-NEE, LIM JEONG-WON [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]