Chong Won-o's campaign said the early voting rate in Seoul was the highest among all local elections and projected a win with the overall turnout around 55%. It saw the high early voting rate in Seoul as driven by heightened public concern about safety following the missing rebar scandal on the Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX) and the accident on the Seosomun overpass.
Lee In-young, standing co-chair of Chong Won-o's campaign committee, said at a press briefing at the National Assembly on the 31st, "Seoul's 23.84% early voting rate reflects the aspirations of Seoul residents for a safer city," adding, "We judge the momentum for victory is solidifying."
He added, "There is also a strong current for judgment on 10 years of Oh Se-hoon's municipal administration. The unusually high number of safety accidents and criticism that there was only flashy talk without real action run through the undercurrent of judging Oh," and said, "Candidate Chong Won-o will, until the end, devote full efforts to a safe Seoul and the recovery of the livelihood economy, and will fight against every inconvenience faced by citizens."
Chong Won-o's campaign, taking into account previously published opinion polls, expected a result of victory with the overall turnout around 55%. It judged that the consolidation of conservative voters entered a stagnant phase after the GTX missing rebar scandal and the Seosomun overpass accident.
Lee Hae-sik, chief manager of Chong Won-o's campaign headquarters, said, "Considering that the face-to-face survey method makes it possible to gauge the sentiment of moderates, People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon faces constraints in support among moderates," adding, "Turnout among conservatives in their 20s and 30s could drop further, so with a turnout not high, around 55%, Candidate Chong is likely to win."
He continued, "It is hard to see any single event as the variable that influenced the local election polls," but added, "There had been a steady pattern of conservative consolidation, but around the time of the GTX missing rebar issue and the Seosomun overpass accident, the narrowing trend seems to have entered a stagnant phase."