Shocked by Exit Poll Results, Ruling Party... Han Dong-hoon Says "Disappointing"

As the exit polls for the 22nd general election predicted a landslide victory for the opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea, the People Power Party was engulfed in shock. Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, expressed his reaction as "disappointing."

People Power Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon is reviewing the vote counting prediction results in the vote counting situation room set up at the National Assembly Library on the 10th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 10th, Han and the leadership of the People Power Party gathered in the National Assembly situation room in Yeouido, Seoul, to watch the exit polls from the three major terrestrial broadcasters. Han entered the situation room just before the announcement of the exit polls. He shook hands with Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, Jang Dong-hyuk, the party secretary-general, and Lee Man-hee, the People Power Party candidate for Yeongcheon-si and Cheongdo-gun, before taking his seat.

According to the polls, the Democratic Party is expected to secure 184 to 197 seats, while the People Power Party is projected to win 85 to 100 seats. When the exit poll results were announced, there was complete silence in the situation room. Han showed no movement or change in expression. Only the candidates from the People Power Party’s satellite party, the Future of the People, were whispering among themselves.

When the screen showed Democratic Party officials cheering over the anticipated landslide victory, some sighed. When the exit poll indicated that Na Kyung-won, a candidate in Seoul Dongjak-gu E, a district expected to be competitive, was trailing behind Democratic Party candidate Ryu Sam-young, loud exclamations of "What is this?" were heard.

Watching the exit polls, Han said, "The People Power Party has tried to practice politics that follows the will of the people," and added, "The exit polls are disappointing." He then stated, "We will watch the counting results while observing the people's choice," before leaving the situation room.