Seoul mayoral race remains too close to call

“The Seoul mayoral race in the local elections remained too close to call overnight, with the winner still uncertain about 12 hours after polls closed Wednesday. As of 6:20 a.m. Thursday, Chong Won-o of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) secured 48.94 percent of the vote, compared with 48.34 percent for incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), who was seeking reelection. The DPK candidate had been projected to win, leading the PPP contender 51.4 percent to 46 percent in a joint exit poll released by broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS after polls ended at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The vote counting, however, has not been finished yet following ballot paper shortages at polling stations in some southern Seoul districts. As the National Election Commission (NEC) extended the closure of voting from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to allow those waiting for the papers to cast ballots, people who claimed unfair and illegal voting have flocked to one of the stations. They have blocked the NEC officials from carrying the ballot boxes to the vote counting venue, wi

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