Former United Future Party floor leader Na Kyung-won (Yonhap)
Political heavyweight Na Kyung-won of the main opposition party faced a crushing blow in Seoul’s Dongjak district against former judge Lee Su-jin of the ruling party, according to election results Thursday.
According to the National Election Commission, political newcomer Lee edged out four-term lawmaker Na, grabbing 61,407 votes, or 52.1 percent of the total. Na won 53,026 votes.
Na has served as floor leader of United Future Party and is considered one of the conservative bloc’s potential presidential contenders.
Her demise comes as the conservatives suffered a devastating defeat by the ruling bloc, securing slightly over one-third of the 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
With exit polls predicting her defeat, Na was not even present at the campaign office to watch election results with the staffers and supporters.
Na’s indecisive stance on critical issues during heightened conflict between the ruling and opposition bloc last year over putting key reform bills on the fast track largely led her leadership to falter.
The Dongjak contest drew interest as a face-off between a veteran and a novice who happened to share similar backgrounds. Both are women, both graduated from the elite Seoul National University and both served as judges before joining politics.
The Democratic Party of Korea recruited Lee, who came to be recognized as a rare reformist figure in judicial circles, to challenge Na.
Appearing on local radio Lee vowed to prioritize people’s livelihoods and refuted the analysis that she was recruited for her portrayal as a victim of the alleged blacklist of liberal judges made under Yang.
“I am confident that I will not practice politics like Rep. Na Kyung-won. … I will not hold back people’s livelihoods, and will prioritize people,” Lee said.
“The Democratic Party recruited me because they thought highly of my rulings that stood with the weak, and important testimonies in the case involving forced laborers.”
By Kim Bo-gyung (
lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)