Supporters watch the election results at Oh Se-hoon's campaign headquarters in Jongno, Seoul, on June 4, 2026. [Photo by Jang Mun-ki]
As the vote counting for the June 3 local elections continued into the early hours of June 4, a tense silence enveloped Oh Se-hoon’s campaign headquarters. By 6 a.m., some campaign staff, who had been awake since the previous day, were dozing off against the walls. However, around 7 a.m., the atmosphere shifted dramatically when the vote gap, which had been stuck at around 23,000 to 26,000 votes, suddenly narrowed to approximately 19,000 votes.
Within a minute, the gap displayed on the live broadcast shrank by 8,000 votes, sparking applause and cheers from the campaign team. As the difference dropped to 10,000 votes, supporters began chanting, "Let’s go! Let’s go!" and "Oh Se-hoon, fighting!"
At 7:04 a.m., when the vote difference decreased to just 0.1 percentage points, some campaign staff stood up from their seats. Those who had been napping in the corners began to gather in front of the TV, sensing victory and shouting, "We will win!" while chanting Oh’s name. Some recalled Oh’s thrilling comeback victory in the 2010 local elections, expressing hope for a repeat performance.
By 7:16 a.m., after 13 hours and 16 minutes since the polls closed at 6 p.m. the previous day, the TV screen showed Oh Se-hoon overtaking his rival, Jeong Won-o of the Democratic Party.
The campaign headquarters erupted in applause and cheers. Staff and supporters encouraged each other, saying, "You’ve worked hard." In the buoyant atmosphere, some wiped away tears, marking a stark contrast to the silence that had prevailed just 20 minutes earlier.
As the gap between Oh and Jeong widened to over 10,000 votes, the campaign team became increasingly active. Key figures, including co-campaign chairs Yoon Hee-sook and Kim Jae-seop, moved from their separate viewing area to join the main group in front of the TV.
As more people gathered, the atmosphere settled again. With the word 'leading' becoming less visible on the screen, tension returned. At 9:30 a.m., when Jeong conceded defeat, applause and cheers erupted once more, though the celebration was subdued out of respect for the opponent.
This Seoul mayoral election was fraught with challenges for both sides. Some polling stations faced a shortage of ballots, leading to unprecedented situations where voters left without casting their votes. Notably, these shortages occurred in the conservative-leaning Songpa district. The People Power Party strongly protested, claiming violations of voting rights.
Meanwhile, despite trailing by as much as 10 percentage points during the counting process, Oh Se-hoon ultimately edged out Jeong Won-o, securing his position as the five-term mayor of Seoul.
Within a minute, the gap displayed on the live broadcast shrank by 8,000 votes, sparking applause and cheers from the campaign team. As the difference dropped to 10,000 votes, supporters began chanting, "Let’s go! Let’s go!" and "Oh Se-hoon, fighting!"
At 7:04 a.m., when the vote difference decreased to just 0.1 percentage points, some campaign staff stood up from their seats. Those who had been napping in the corners began to gather in front of the TV, sensing victory and shouting, "We will win!" while chanting Oh’s name. Some recalled Oh’s thrilling comeback victory in the 2010 local elections, expressing hope for a repeat performance.
By 7:16 a.m., after 13 hours and 16 minutes since the polls closed at 6 p.m. the previous day, the TV screen showed Oh Se-hoon overtaking his rival, Jeong Won-o of the Democratic Party.
The campaign headquarters erupted in applause and cheers. Staff and supporters encouraged each other, saying, "You’ve worked hard." In the buoyant atmosphere, some wiped away tears, marking a stark contrast to the silence that had prevailed just 20 minutes earlier.
As the gap between Oh and Jeong widened to over 10,000 votes, the campaign team became increasingly active. Key figures, including co-campaign chairs Yoon Hee-sook and Kim Jae-seop, moved from their separate viewing area to join the main group in front of the TV.
As more people gathered, the atmosphere settled again. With the word 'leading' becoming less visible on the screen, tension returned. At 9:30 a.m., when Jeong conceded defeat, applause and cheers erupted once more, though the celebration was subdued out of respect for the opponent.
This Seoul mayoral election was fraught with challenges for both sides. Some polling stations faced a shortage of ballots, leading to unprecedented situations where voters left without casting their votes. Notably, these shortages occurred in the conservative-leaning Songpa district. The People Power Party strongly protested, claiming violations of voting rights.
Meanwhile, despite trailing by as much as 10 percentage points during the counting process, Oh Se-hoon ultimately edged out Jeong Won-o, securing his position as the five-term mayor of Seoul.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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