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By-election expected to bring split verdicts

Published: 28 Oct. 2009, 22:14

Voters in the Suwon-Jangan electoral district in Gyeonggi cast their ballots in the by-elections yesterday. It was expected to be the most hotly contested battleground between the ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party. Election watchdog workers and some voters wore masks in fear of the flu. [NEWSIS]

By-elections to fill vacancies in the National Assembly were held yesterday in five regions across the nation. Polls were closed at 8 p.m. and the preliminary results were expected around 11 p.m. last night, past press time. It was the second set of by-elections of the Lee Myung-bak administration.

The votes took place in Suwon-Jangan in Gyeonggi; Sangnok B in Ansan, Gyeonggi; Gangneung in Gangwon; Jeungpyeong-Jincheon-Goesan-Eumseong in North Chungcheong; and Yangsan in South Gyeongsang. Voter turnout was 35.6 percent by 7 p.m., according to the National Election Commission.

By regions, Jeungpyeong-Jincheon-Goesan-Eumseong saw the highest turnout at 40.4 percent. Suwon-Jangan had a 32.2 percent turnout while 26.1 percent of voters went to the polls in Sangnok B. Gangneung had a 37.6 percent turnout and Yangsan had 39.2 percent.

The turnout for last April’s by-elections was 40.8 percent, the highest in nearly eight years. Suwon-Jangan was expected to see the fiercest battle between the ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party. Park Chan-sook of the GNP and Lee Chan-yeol of the DP faced off there. Both parties expected the GNP to prevail in Yangsan and Gangneung. Former GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae ran against DP candidate Song In-bae in Yangsan. The DP didn’t have a candidate in Gangneung, where GNP’s Kwon Seong-dong went up against independent Song Young-cheol.

The parties anticipated Democratic Party victories in the two remaining regions. In Ansan, DP candidate Kim Young-hwan was up against GNP hopeful Song Jin-sup. Chung Bum-gu of the DP and Kyeong Dae-soo of the ruling party went toe-to-toe in North Chungcheong.

Results of the by-elections could impact major national issues, including the Sejong City development plan, the four major rivers project and the budget for next year.

By Yoo Jee-ho [[email protected]]