With the June 3 local elections' early voting rate hitting a record high for local elections, the ruling and opposition parties offered contrasting interpretations. The Democratic Party of Korea stressed that past elections showed higher early voting rates tended to favor the progressive camp, while the People Power Party argued it reflected a desire to keep the Lee Jae-myung administration in check.
Jung Chung-rae, the Democratic Party's chief standing election committee chair, met with reporters on the 30th after a campaign stop in Hadong, South Gyeongsang, and said, "Those most eager to vote are doing a lot of early voting, and most of the people standing in line at the polling stations are young," adding, "If many young voters turned out, a high early voting rate is at least not disadvantageous to the Democratic Party."
Chong Won-o, the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, also told reporters after a stump speech at Jayang Traditional Market that "a high early voting rate reflects citizens' will to judge candidate Oh's 10 years of incompetence through voting, as well as their expectations and hopes for new leadership."
Kang Jun-hyun, the party's chief spokesperson, said at a National Assembly press briefing at noon that "it is not appropriate to talk about electoral advantage or disadvantage based on whether the early voting rate is high or low," but added, "Looking at the processes of local, presidential and general elections so far, the higher the early voting rate, the more encouraging it has been for our party."
By contrast, the People Power Party interpreted the high early voting rate as a warning to the government and ruling party. Chung Hee-yong, the People Power Party's head of the election committee, said in a statement that "a high early voting rate is a strong warning from the people to arrogant power that does not read the public mood."
He also said, "Voters angry at attempts to cancel a trial to erase the president's crimes, voters frustrated as the dream of owning a home slips away, and citizens and provincial residents who believe they cannot entrust their regions to candidates whose qualifications and abilities have not been verified headed to the polls."
Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, also told reporters before a tour of the Gayang Market that "it means there are many voters angry at this administration's mismanagement," adding, "Ordinary people are struggling so much that even the so-called 'triple strength' in sale prices and jeonse and monthly rents seems meaningless."