Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Wins Fifth Term in Tight Race

SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap) -- Incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party (PPP) won his fifth term Thursday, narrowly defeating Democratic Party (DP) candidate Chong Won-o in a tight mayoral race that was decided in the final stages of ballot counting.

Oh was declared winner shortly after 10 a.m., with 97.92 percent of ballots counted.

The main opposition candidate had 48.95 percent of the votes cast against the ruling party's Chong at 48.33 percent, according to the National Election Commission.

"I do not view this election as a personal victory for myself," Oh said in his victory speech. "I express my deep respect and gratitude to the citizens who have preserved the balance of democracy in the name of Seoul," he added.

Chong had conceded his defeat at around 9:30 a.m.

The DP candidate had maintained a slim lead over Oh throughout most of the ballot counting before the PPP candidate pulled ahead for the first time at 7:18 a.m. Oh's lead had since widened, with the difference tallied at over 30,000 votes.

"I congratulate Candidate Oh Se-hoon for his victory. I accept the choice of the citizens with a heavy and humble heart," the DP candidate said in his concession speech.

The mayoral race was part of nationwide June 3 local elections held exactly one year after President Lee Jae Myung's administration took office June 4.

Seoul is widely considered a key election battleground in South Korean politics. Outside of Seoul and three other conservative strongholds in the southeast, the DP won a landslide victory in the local elections across the country.

Recent surveys conducted ahead of the elections had shown Chong, a former three-term ward chief in Seoul's Seongdong-gu, outpacing the incumbent mayor. Through the win, Oh secured his third consecutive and fifth non-consecutive term as mayor of Seoul.