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FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8196
INFO RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RHMFIUU/COMUSKOREA J2 SEOUL KOR
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/COMUSKOREA SCJS SEOUL KOR
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SEOUL 001821 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KS
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION SWEEPS LOCAL ELECTIONS; URI CHAIR 
RESIGNS 
 
REF: A. SEOUL 1642 
 
     ¶B. SEOUL 1779 
     ¶C. SEOUL 1732 
     ¶D. SEOUL 1791 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) As predicted (Ref A), the ruling Uri Party suffered 
a crushing defeat in the May 31 local elections.  The 
opposition Grand National Party (GNP) won 12 of the 16 
gubernatorial and major mayoral races, including Seoul, 
Busan, Daejeon, and the populous region surrounding Seoul, 
Gyeonggi Province.  The Democratic Party won the Gwangju 
mayoral and South Jeolla gubernatorial posts.  The Uri Party 
won only the governorship of North Jeolla Province, the 
birthplace of Uri Party Chairman Chung Dong-young.  Chung 
appeared on nationwide television June 1 to apologize for the 
poor results and tender his resignation.  Political circles 
are now churning with speculation over what impact the local 
elections will have on the 2007 presidential race.  This much 
is clear:  GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye's prospects are 
bright while the Uri Party is in tatters.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
GNP TROUNCES FORMER URI MINISTERS IN SEOUL, BUSAN, GYEONGGI 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) GNP candidate Oh Se-hoon easily defeated the Uri 
Party's Kang Kum-sill in the Seoul mayoral race by over 30 
percentage points.  A 45-year-old attorney associated with 
environmental causes, Oh is a former GNP lawmaker and 
television celebrity.  GNP insiders say that he was recruited 
to run as the only person capable of beating the Uri Party's 
Kang, who distinguished herself as the first female Justice 
Minister. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In Busan, incumbent mayor Hur Nam-sik (GNP) 
defeated Oh Geo-don (Uri), a former Minister of Maritime 
Affairs and Fisheries (Ref B).  All observers predicted that 
this race would be a blowout.  Indeed, Hur defeated Oh 65.8% 
to 24%.  Dissatisfaction with the Roh Administration appears 
to have hardened the Gyeongsang Provinces' long-standing 
loyalty to the conservative GNP. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, GNP 
lawmaker Kim Moon-soo defeated former Information and 
Communication Minister Chin Dae-je.  Kim enjoyed a 
comfortable lead throughout the campaign, but few predicted 
that he would defeat Chin so readily, 59.6% to 31.3%. 
 
GNP WINS EVEN DAEJEON 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In one of the election's most surprising races, 
Daejeon elected GNP's Park Sung-ho over incumbent mayor Yum 
Hong-chul (Uri).  As reported Ref C, Yum had enjoyed a 
comfortable 46% lead in Daejeon, capitalizing on his personal 
popularity, political machinery he brought with him when he 
defected from GNP in 2005, and the Uri Party's initiative to 
build a new administrative city in the region.  Park appears 
to have clearly benefited from a surge of sympathy following 
the May 20 attack upon GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye and then 
the Chairwoman's early release from the hospital to campaign 
in Daejeon (Ref D). 
 
URI PARTY'S MORNING AFTER 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Uri Chairman Chung Dong-young announced his 
resignation in a televised statement June 1.  He said that he 
failed to keep his promise to the citizens, would accept 
responsibility for the election, and step down.  There is 
speculation that former Minister of Health Kim Geun-tae may 
assume the chairmanship, but the party said that an official 
decision has not yet been made.  In brief comments, President 
Roh said the Administration would not waiver in focusing on 
major policies such as resolution of social disparity and 
concluding the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.  Roh also 
stressed that a crisis is a true test of a party's capability. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  According to Professor Lee Nae-young, a specialist 
in elections and polling at Korea University, it is likely 
that an anti-Roh Moo-hyun faction within the ruling Uri party 
will separate and form a new coalition with Kim Dae-jung's 
Democratic Party (DP).  Lee noted that although the DP won 
one more seat than the Uri Party, the two parties 
independently are not strong enough to compete against the 
 
GNP and will have to form a coalition.  Moreover, the DP does 
not have a competitive candidate to put forth in the upcoming 
presidential elections.  Lee suggested that if a new party is 
formed, Goh Kun would likely lead the party.  Lee noted that 
the GNP has a very important role to play now if it wants to 
maintain its support rate among the public.  He opined that 
the GNP's landslide victory was not based on popularity for 
the party but on the lack of options for a better 
alternative. 
 
FINAL ELECTION RESULTS 
---------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) The following are results from the 16 major races: 
 
- Seoul: GNP 
  Oh Se-hoon (GNP) (60.5%) v. Kang Kum-sill (Uri) (27%) 
 
- Gyeonggi Province: GNP 
  Kim Moon-soo (GNP) (59.6%) v. Chin Dae-je (Uri) (31.3%) 
 
- Incheon: GNP 
  Ahn Sang-soo (GNP) (63.1%) v. Choi Ki-sun (Uri) (22.5%) 
 
- Daejeon: GNP 
  Park Sung-ho (GNP) (44.6%) v.  Yum Hong-chul (Uri)(41%) 
 
- N. Chungcheong Province: GNP 
  Jung Woo-taek (GNP) (59.6%) v. Han Bum-deok (Uri) (30.3%) 
 
- S. Chungcheong Province: GNP 
  Lee Wan-koo (GNP) (47%) v. Oh Young-kyo (Uri) (21.2%) 
 
- Gwangju: DP 
  Park Kwang-tae (DP) (52.1%) v. Kim Jae-kyun (Uri) (34%) 
 
- Gangwon Province: GNP 
  Kim Jin-sun (GNP) (73.2%) v. Lee Chang-bok (Uri) (20%) 
 
- N. Jeolla Province: Uri 
  Kim Wan-ju (Uri) (48.2%) v. Jung Kyun-hwan (DP) (36.9%) 
 
- S. Jeolla Province: DP 
  Park Joon-young (DP) (67.3%) v. Suh Bum-seok (Uri) (19.2%) 
 
- N. Gyeongsang Province: GNP 
  Kim Kwan-yong (GNP) (76.9%) v. Park Myung-jae (Uri) (22.9%) 
 
- S. Gyeongsang Province: GNP 
  Kim Tae-ho (GNP) (63.9%) v. Kim Doo-kwan (Uri) (24.4%) 
 
- Ulsan: GNP 
  Park Maeng-woo (GNP) (63.2%) v. Roh Ok-hee (DLP) (11%) 
 
- Daegu: GNP 
  Kim Bum-il (GNP) (70.9%) v. Lee Jae-yong (Uri) (20%) 
 
- Busan: GNP 
  Huh Nam-sik (GNP) (65.8%) v. Oh Geo-don (Uri) (24%) 
 
- Jeju Province: Independent 
  Kim Tae-hwan (Ind.) (42.7%) v. Hyun Myung-gwan (GNP) (41.4%) 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) With over 50% turnout, the voters sent a clarion 
message of dissatisfaction to the ruling Uri Party. 
Opposition candidates easily defeated some of Uri Party's 
most popular figures -- from Kang in Seoul to Yum in Daejeon 
to Chin in Gyeonggi.  Citizens concerned about the economy 
appeared disillusioned with a party strong on ideology and 
rhetoric but lacking in tangible results.  The election also 
added some clarity to the upcoming presidential race. 
Failing to deliver in any region other than his birthplace, 
former Uri Chair Chung Dong-young's presidential aspirations 
have been dashed.  Park Geun-hye's prospects, meanwhile, have 
significantly brightened.  She emerged from the May 20 knife 
attack with an aura of stoicism, an undeniable ability to 
deliver GNP votes, and perhaps the respect necessary to keep 
the GNP from splintering prior to the presidential elections. 
 The Uri Party, meanwhile, is facing internal turmoil.  The 
local election is likely to accelerate a party split as Uri 
politicians hasten to disassociate themselves from the stain 
of this defeat.  END COMMENT. 
VERSHBOW