The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that the results of any election should be accepted “sternly,” following the ruling party’s defeat in a crucial by-election in Seoul.
Jin Kyo-hoon of the main opposition Democratic Party won Wednesday’s by-election for chief of Gangseo Ward, defeating his rival Kim Tae-woo of the ruling People Power Party by a larger-than-expected margin of 17.15 percentage points.
The by-election was closely watched as a barometer of voter sentiment ahead of parliamentary elections slated for next April.
“The government’s position is that the result of any election should be accepted sternly,” a senior presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.
While Yoon’s office has not issued a formal response to the election outcome, presidential officials have been reluctant to interpret the result as a judgment by the general public, given that the Gangseo area has traditionally been a DP stronghold.
“If we take this as a strong vaccination shot, it could turn into good me
dicine,” a presidential official said, adding he expects the administration to conduct a review of state affairs so far.
Source: Yonhap News Agency