The People Power Party (PPP) received a shocking report card in the June 3 local elections. Among the 16 metropolitan-level chief executive races, the party could claim certain victory only in North Gyeongsang and Daegu, while even traditional conservative strongholds either fell to the Democratic Party of Korea or remained locked in tight races.
Combining the joint exit poll by the three terrestrial broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS) with vote-counting results as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, North Gyeongsang stood as the only region where the PPP's lead was clearly assured. In Daegu, often called "the heart of conservatism," candidate Choo Kyung-ho's victory was confirmed only after a significant portion of the votes had been counted. In the traditional strongholds of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang (collectively known as Bu-Ul-Gyeong), the party either trailed the Democratic Party or was locked in razor-thin contests, while it also showed weakness in Gangwon and South Chungcheong.
In the 2022 local elections, the PPP swept all Yeongnam regions, including Daegu, North Gyeongsang, Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang. In this election, however, while the Democratic Party made gains in difficult terrain, the PPP appeared to struggle even to defend its existing strongholds.
When the exit poll results were announced, a heavy silence fell over the PPP's vote-counting situation room. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk watched the broadcast in silence for about 40 minutes before leaving his seat. Other leadership figures, including Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won, were spotted watching the situation with stiff expressions and letting out deep sighs. PPP Floor Leader Song Eon-seok said, "We will humbly accept the people's choice."
