Landslide Victory in the Greater Seoul Area
Lost the Three Gangnam Districts and Yongsan in Seoul
Underperformed Expectations in TK Region
The June 3 presidential election, which drew attention as a showdown between politicians who previously served as governors of Gyeonggi Province, concluded with the election of President Lee Jaemyung. Building on his victory in Gyeonggi, the largest voting bloc, Lee also performed strongly in Incheon and even in Seoul, which helped secure his win. However, the regional voting pattern persisted, with the Democratic Party of Korea dominating in Honam and the People Power Party sweeping votes in Yeongnam.
According to the National Election Commission on June 4, the final nationwide vote shares were as follows: President Lee received 49.42%, Kim Moonsoo of the People Power Party received 41.15%, Lee Junseok of the Reform New Party received 8.34%, and Kwon Youngguk of the Democratic Labor Party received 0.98%.
In the Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi region, which accounts for half of all eligible voters, President Lee outperformed Kim in every area. In Seoul, Lee secured 47.13% of the vote, while Kim received 41.55%. In the 2022 presidential election, former President Yoon Sukyeol had led Lee in Seoul with 50.56% to 45.73%.
In Gyeonggi, which has the largest number of voters, Lee achieved a landslide victory with 52.20% compared to Kim's 37.95%. Although both candidates previously served as Gyeonggi governors, voters sided with Lee. In Incheon, where Lee's parliamentary constituency is located, he received 51.67%, far outpacing Kim's 38.44%. Lee also performed well in his political hometown of Seongnam, Gyeonggi. In Sujeong-gu, Jungwon-gu, and Bundang-gu, he received 54.38%, 57.53%, and 44.30%, respectively. In Bundang-gu, the strong presence of conservative parties was reaffirmed.
In the Chungcheong region, which often plays a kingmaker role in presidential elections, Lee also held the advantage. The political adage that the candidate who wins the hearts of Chungcheong voters wins the presidency, which has held since the 14th presidential election in 1992, proved true once again. Lee, who promised to complete the administrative capital in Sejong, received 55.62% there, ahead of Kim's 33.21%. In Daejeon, Lee received 48.50% and Kim 40.58%. In South Chungcheong, Lee received 47.68% and Kim 43.26%. In North Chungcheong, Lee received 47.47% and Kim 43.22%. Notably, in Chungju, the hometown of Lee's wife Kim Hye-kyung, Lee received 46.04%, defeating Kim, who received 45.19%. Although Chungju has traditionally been a conservative stronghold, analysts suggest that the symbolic significance of being the "President's in-laws' hometown" influenced the vote. In the 2022 presidential election, Lee had lost to former President Yoon in Daejeon, South Chungcheong, and North Chungcheong (except for Sejong), but this time, the results were different.
Lee made significant efforts to make inroads in Daegu and North Gyeongsang (TK), his hometown, as well as in Busan and South Gyeongsang (PK), but the regionalism of Yeongnam proved difficult to overcome. In Daegu, Lee received 23.22%, similar to his previous result of 21.6% in the last election. In North Gyeongsang, he recorded 25.52%, slightly higher than the previous 23.8%. In Andong, North Gyeongsang, Lee's hometown, he received 31.28%.
However, it is noteworthy that Lee achieved around 40% of the vote in Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang (PK). Specifically, he received 40.14% in Busan, 39.40% in South Gyeongsang, and 42.54% in Ulsan. These results surpass the vote shares achieved by former President Moon Jaein, who was a PK native, in the 2017 presidential election. Still, considering Lee's tailored pledges for the PK region?such as establishing the Southeast Investment Bank and relocating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and HMM?some assess that his vote share fell short of expectations.
Honam once again overwhelmingly supported Lee. He received 84.77% in Gwangju, 85.87% in South Jeolla, and 82.65% in North Jeolla. In contrast, Kim received only 8.02%, 8.54%, and 10.90% in those areas, respectively. In Gangwon, Lee received 43.95% and Kim 47.30%. In Jeju, Lee dominated with 54.76%, compared to Kim's 34.78%.
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