충주시장 124표 차 대역전극.. 최연소 시장 탄생

◀ Anchor ▶ The Chungju mayoral election was a fierce battle that remained unpredictable until the very end of the vote counting. In the Chungju mayoral election, People Power Party candidate Lee Dong-seok staged a dramatic comeback just nine hours into the counting, becoming the youngest mayor in the history of local government heads in North Chungcheong Province. The final margin of victory was a mere 124 votes. Heo Ji-hee reports. ◀ Report ▶ In the early stages of vote counting, based on early voting results, Democratic Party candidate Maeng Jeong-seop led the race with a vote share of around 60%. As the gap failed to narrow by around midnight, a heavy silence fell over Candidate Lee Dong-seok's camp, and the candidate himself did not make an appearance. Total number of voters: 108,088. The political landscape began to shift gradually as the main ballot boxes were opened, but it started to fluctuate wildly past 3 a.m. as ballot boxes from the old downtown area and 19 outlying towns, townships, and districts were opened. At 3:30 a.m., with 97.64% of the votes counted, the gap between the two candidates narrowed to 289 votes, and the Election Commission withheld its decision on the winner. Then, at 4 a.m., when the final ballot box was opened at 99.74%, Candidate Lee Dong-seok successfully reversed the situation by a margin of 112 votes. The final result was a margin of just 124 votes, with Candidate Lee Dong-seok leading by 0.11 percentage points. As his victory was finally confirmed nine hours after the start of vote counting, Candidate Lee Dong-seok visited his campaign headquarters to share the joy of his win with his supporters. ◀ SYNC ▶ "Cheers for Lee Dong-seok" The 40-year-old mayor-elect is the son of former North Chungcheong Provincial Assembly Chairman Lee Eon-gu. He has worked as a journalist and an administrative officer at the Presidential Office, and has now become the youngest mayor in the history of local government heads in North Chungcheong Province. Assessments suggest this will serve as a signal for a full-scale generational shift in the political circles of Chungju, a region known for its strong conservative leanings. ◀ SYNC ▶ Lee Dong-seok / Mayor-elect of Chungju (People Power Party) "The citizens of North Chungcheong Province have chosen a truly young mayor. I will never forget this heavy heart and will work tirelessly for the development of Chungju." Candidate Maeng Jeong-seop accepted the result, stating, "I will deeply reflect on my shortcomings," and offered his congratulations to Mayor-elect Lee Dong-seok. This is Heo Ji-hee from MBC News.