SEOUL, June 03 (AJP) - The ruling Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae urged citizens on Wednesday to participate in the nationwide local elections, emphasizing that a single ballot carries the weight of South Korea's democratic history and can directly determine narrow races.
Speaking at a central election committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Jung highlighted the statistical reality of close contests to combat voter apathy. He noted that the past six local elections have seen 13 races decided by exactly one vote, while seven other contests ended in a dead heat that required the winner to be determined by the candidate's age.
"My single vote changes the elected official, regional policies, and the future of the community," Jung said on the morning of election day. "This is not just an empty phrase politicians say during every election."
The party leader framed the act of voting as a hard-won democratic right, tracing South Korea's political development from its inaugural 1948 general elections through the March 15 protests against rigged elections and the 1987 June Democratic Struggle against military dictatorship.
Jung asked supporters to head to the polling stations with the mindset that their preferred candidate is trailing by exactly one vote. "Show who the owner of South Korea is through voting, and please choose the path the country will take," he said.
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