Democrats admit Seoul defeat stings; PPP vows soul-searching after local elections

The Democratic Party of Korea claimed a nationwide victory in the June 3 local elections but acknowledged the loss of the Seoul mayoral race as a painful shortcoming. The People Power Party, meanwhile, framed the results as a public rebuke and called for change and reform.

Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae, at a press conference Thursday, thanked voters for delivering "a great victory for the Democratic Party across the country" but added, "It hurts that we failed to retake Seoul."

Floor spokesperson Kim Hyeon-jeong, speaking Friday on KBS Radio, said the party lost by tens of thousands of votes in the three Gangnam districts. "I think it was a demographic sensitive to real estate issues, and it seems the government and ruling party need to offer alternatives," she said. She added that while the party won among women in their 20s, it lost by a wide margin among women in their 30s. "In a sense, that means women in their 30s are also sensitive to real estate issues," she said, also noting that Democratic Party candidate Jeong Won-o had relatively low name recognition.

The People Power Party offered sharper self-criticism. Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, speaking at a post-election assessment forum Friday, said the party "should have approached the election with an attitude of atonement and accountability" but that "the strategy was not properly carried out." Citing past examples, he said the party had delivered results "when it led with reflection and responsibility, but fell short this time." He pointed to internal divisions and a lack of vision as the main reasons for the defeat.

Criticism also emerged over the parties' centralized structures. Rep. Choi Hyeong-du said the election "showed the failure of the central party apparatus on both sides," pointing to delays in candidate nominations and an excessive concentration of power at the party center.