Rival parties await results of 2018 local elections
- 6 years ago
지방선거 투표마감...민심 2018, 결과는?
It's going to be an tense couple of hours for the candidates as the returns come in.
But exit polls are suggesting a very strong showing for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
We're going to now look more closely at those numbers and hopefully some official tallies as they come in. Also, what these results could mean for the parties and the government.
Our political correspondent Kim Min-ji is here in the studio to help us do that.
Min-ji,... what do you have for us.
Devin.
If we take a look at voter turnout first.
Voter turnout is at 60-point-2 percent, tentatively.
The elections have been largely overshadowed by the summit between North Korea and the U.S.,... but still voter turnout is higher than the figure for the last local elections back in 2014,... and the second highest overall for the local elections.
Now, as it's the first nationwide election under the Moon Jae-in administration,... the outcome will be seen, somewhat, as a barometer of public sentiment toward the government.
While we're getting the graphics ready for the ballot counting,... give us a run down of the exit polls.
The exit polls, I understand, are in line with the latest opinion polls conducted during the campaign, which had the Democratic Party of Korea headed for a big win.
That's right.
For the local elections, we saw that that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in the lead in 14 of the 17 metropolitan cities or provinces.
Now something to note is that that includes traditional conservative strongholds, such as Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Ulsan and Busan.
For the main opposition Liberty Korea Party,... it's in the lead in two districts -- Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
Initially, it was a tight race,... but they seem to have a comfortable lead according to the exit polls.
And lastly, an independent candidate is leading in Jeju-do Province.
He is the incumbent governor of Jeju... and was initially a lawmaker with the centrist Bareun Mirae Party but left the party before the local elections.
The race for mayor and governor is mainly seen as a race between the two biggest parties.
As for the by-elections for seats in parliament, the ruling party is in the lead in 10 districts.
The final opinion polls said 11,... but the Jecheon-Danyang District in Chungcheongbuk-do Province is hotly contested.
And the main opposition party was able to pick up one district, Gimcheon in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, in which the ruling party did not field a candidate.
It's going to be an tense couple of hours for the candidates as the returns come in.
But exit polls are suggesting a very strong showing for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
We're going to now look more closely at those numbers and hopefully some official tallies as they come in. Also, what these results could mean for the parties and the government.
Our political correspondent Kim Min-ji is here in the studio to help us do that.
Min-ji,... what do you have for us.
Devin.
If we take a look at voter turnout first.
Voter turnout is at 60-point-2 percent, tentatively.
The elections have been largely overshadowed by the summit between North Korea and the U.S.,... but still voter turnout is higher than the figure for the last local elections back in 2014,... and the second highest overall for the local elections.
Now, as it's the first nationwide election under the Moon Jae-in administration,... the outcome will be seen, somewhat, as a barometer of public sentiment toward the government.
While we're getting the graphics ready for the ballot counting,... give us a run down of the exit polls.
The exit polls, I understand, are in line with the latest opinion polls conducted during the campaign, which had the Democratic Party of Korea headed for a big win.
That's right.
For the local elections, we saw that that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in the lead in 14 of the 17 metropolitan cities or provinces.
Now something to note is that that includes traditional conservative strongholds, such as Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Ulsan and Busan.
For the main opposition Liberty Korea Party,... it's in the lead in two districts -- Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
Initially, it was a tight race,... but they seem to have a comfortable lead according to the exit polls.
And lastly, an independent candidate is leading in Jeju-do Province.
He is the incumbent governor of Jeju... and was initially a lawmaker with the centrist Bareun Mirae Party but left the party before the local elections.
The race for mayor and governor is mainly seen as a race between the two biggest parties.
As for the by-elections for seats in parliament, the ruling party is in the lead in 10 districts.
The final opinion polls said 11,... but the Jecheon-Danyang District in Chungcheongbuk-do Province is hotly contested.
And the main opposition party was able to pick up one district, Gimcheon in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, in which the ruling party did not field a candidate.