Jung Won-oh: "Congratulations to Oh Se-hoon on His Election... I Humbly and Sincerely Accept the Citizens' Choice"

As the likelihood of defeat grew on the 4th,
Jung concedes loss at campaign headquarters
"I was not good enough... Everything is my responsibility"

Jeong Wono, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor, stated on June 4, "I would like to extend my congratulations to Oh Sehoon, the People Power Party candidate who has been elected," adding, "I will humbly and solemnly accept the choice of the citizens of Seoul."

Jeong Wono, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor, is stating his position regarding the 9th nationwide local elections on the 4th at his campaign office on Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

At around 9:30 a.m. that day, as the likelihood of defeat in the 9th nationwide local elections increased, Jeong visited his campaign office in Jung-gu, Seoul and said, "I was inadequate. Everything is my fault," continuing, "I could not get closer, I did not listen deeply enough, and I did not win over hearts more broadly."

In conclusion, he said, "I am sorry that I could not meet the expectations of the citizens who trusted and supported me, the campaign staff, volunteers, campaign office associates, and fellow party members," and added, "I will not forget the warmth you have shown, the hands held on the streets, and the support you gave until the very end."

At around 6 p.m. the previous day, right after the exit polls from the three major broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS), Jeong’s campaign office erupted in cheers and applause. However, the mood at the campaign office on this day was the exact opposite. The situation room was filled with a heavy atmosphere, and many seats were left empty.

In the early stages of the vote counting the previous night, Jeong was in the lead, but after midnight, the gap between the two candidates began to narrow. At around 5:50 a.m. the next morning, the difference had shrunk to nearly 0.7 percentage points, and by 7:16 a.m., with 93.9% of the votes counted, Oh had overtaken Jeong. Jeong initially planned to deliver his remarks to the press at around 7:30 a.m., but canceled them after the come-from-behind reversal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.