Democratic Party says exit polls confirm public support for Lee government's stability

The Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday that exit polls from the June 3 local elections confirmed public sentiment backing President Lee Jae Myung's capable leadership and the desire for government stability.

Lee Yeon-hee, the party's central election committee situation room chief and head of strategy, spoke to reporters at the vote-counting situation room set up at the National Assembly shortly after the exit poll results were released. "I will not make any definitive statements," she said. "Once the final vote count is in, the party will issue an official position separately."

Lee said the party was locked in competitive races in four Yeongnam regions, with a particularly tight contest in Daegu. "We hope candidate Kim Boo-kyum will ultimately win in Daegu as voters there choose a new future," she said. "Competitive races are unfolding across the other Yeongnam areas as well. We have confirmed that even voters in Yeongnam want to support President Lee's stable governance, so we look forward to good results when the final count comes in."

Asked how she viewed the record-high voter turnout and whether it favored the party, Lee said Democratic Party supporters and centrist voters who wanted government stability had turned out to back the Lee Jae Myung administration.

On reports that ballot shortages had delayed voting in some parts of Seoul, she said the party "strongly urges the National Election Commission to resolve the situation swiftly."