Voting underway in South Korea's local elections
- 6 years ago
6•13 지방선거•재보선 본투표 일제히 시작
South Korea is waiting to see which new representatives will lead each region.
Held every four years, local elections are often seen as midterm referendums on the ruling party and the incumbent administration.
We connect to our Kim Mok-yeon,... who is on standby at the National Assembly for us.
Mok-yeon, can you give us a further rundown of this year's local elections?
"Sure Se-min, after nearly two weeks of campaigning, it's make-or-break day for South Korea's political parties.
The official campaigning period ended yesterday, so the atmosphere is relatively calm, with most parties sending encouraging messages for citizens to vote wisely."
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea spoke of the North Korea-U.S. summit held the previous day, saying that today's vote is crucial in selecting President Moon Jae-in's partners for creating a peaceful Korean peninsula.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party also encouraged citizens to vote, saying that the elections are the only way to solve the nation's failing economy and security.
The minor opposition Bareun Mirae Party also highlighted the nation's economic crisis, claiming that through voting, the public can bring Asia's fourth largest economy back to life.
Out of some four-thousand posts up for grabs today, much attention is focused on the position of Seoul Mayor,... as it's often deemed a stepping stone to the presidency.
While candidates from the ruling and main opposition parties -- Park Won-soon and Kim Moon-soo already cast their ballots during the early voting period, minor opposition party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo visited a polling station in Nowon district to cast his vote at around 9 a.m.
Another special event we're looking at today are the by-elections, which are being held simultaneously to fill twelve vacant seats in the National Assembly.
This year's by-elections are being dubbed mini general elections as the results will determine which party will take the majority of the seats in parliament, as currently, the ruling party has 118 seats while the main opposition holds 113.
In South Korea, becoming the largest party means a lot... as it selects the parliamentary speaker, and has the upper hand when it comes to choosing the heads of the National Assembly's standing committees.
Mok-yeon, the majority of the polls released on Wednesday show the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on track to sweeping wins nationwide. But, elections can be unpredictable.... and there are a number of variables to keep in mind...
"Well, we can probably point to the overall voter turnout and swing voters as variables that could possibly influence the results."
Though the latest polls show a higher chance for the Democratic Party to take the lead, with the ruling party leading in 14 of the 17 metropolitan cities or provinces.. there's hope for other parties as some polls indicated between 20 to 40 percent of voters still haven't made up their mind about who to vote for.
South Korea is waiting to see which new representatives will lead each region.
Held every four years, local elections are often seen as midterm referendums on the ruling party and the incumbent administration.
We connect to our Kim Mok-yeon,... who is on standby at the National Assembly for us.
Mok-yeon, can you give us a further rundown of this year's local elections?
"Sure Se-min, after nearly two weeks of campaigning, it's make-or-break day for South Korea's political parties.
The official campaigning period ended yesterday, so the atmosphere is relatively calm, with most parties sending encouraging messages for citizens to vote wisely."
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea spoke of the North Korea-U.S. summit held the previous day, saying that today's vote is crucial in selecting President Moon Jae-in's partners for creating a peaceful Korean peninsula.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party also encouraged citizens to vote, saying that the elections are the only way to solve the nation's failing economy and security.
The minor opposition Bareun Mirae Party also highlighted the nation's economic crisis, claiming that through voting, the public can bring Asia's fourth largest economy back to life.
Out of some four-thousand posts up for grabs today, much attention is focused on the position of Seoul Mayor,... as it's often deemed a stepping stone to the presidency.
While candidates from the ruling and main opposition parties -- Park Won-soon and Kim Moon-soo already cast their ballots during the early voting period, minor opposition party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo visited a polling station in Nowon district to cast his vote at around 9 a.m.
Another special event we're looking at today are the by-elections, which are being held simultaneously to fill twelve vacant seats in the National Assembly.
This year's by-elections are being dubbed mini general elections as the results will determine which party will take the majority of the seats in parliament, as currently, the ruling party has 118 seats while the main opposition holds 113.
In South Korea, becoming the largest party means a lot... as it selects the parliamentary speaker, and has the upper hand when it comes to choosing the heads of the National Assembly's standing committees.
Mok-yeon, the majority of the polls released on Wednesday show the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on track to sweeping wins nationwide. But, elections can be unpredictable.... and there are a number of variables to keep in mind...
"Well, we can probably point to the overall voter turnout and swing voters as variables that could possibly influence the results."
Though the latest polls show a higher chance for the Democratic Party to take the lead, with the ruling party leading in 14 of the 17 metropolitan cities or provinces.. there's hope for other parties as some polls indicated between 20 to 40 percent of voters still haven't made up their mind about who to vote for.