Pro-Yoon candidate Kim Tae-gyu wins Ulsan Nam-gu Gap by-election after late comeback

Kim Tae-gyu, a candidate aligned with President Yoon Suk-yeol, has won the by-election for Ulsan Nam-gu Gap. Kim secured 51.15% of the vote, narrowly defeating Jeon Tae-jin of the Democratic Party, who garnered 42.62%. The race was closely watched, with Kim overcoming an early deficit in vote counts to take the lead in the early hours of the morning.

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It's thrilling. I trusted the feeling I got while interacting with the residents.

Kim, a former judge and vice chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Korea Communications Commission under the Yoon administration, is considered a prominent "pro-Yoon" figure. He had previously stated that the presidential emergency measures were within the president's authority and difficult to deem illegal. His victory in Ulsan Nam-gu Gap, a district known for its strong conservative support where no candidate from the progressive camp has ever won since the district's formation in 2004, is a significant win for the People Power Party.

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The residents have a great desire for the basic order of liberal democracy and a free Republic of Korea. I believe they thought of me as a suitable person for that.

The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of the previous incumbent, Kim Sang-wook, who stepped down to contest the Ulsan mayoral race in the concurrent local elections. Kim Tae-gyu's campaign focused on local development, promising the smooth opening of Ulsan's urban railway (Tram Line 1), the creation of a regional innovation university support system for youth talent development, and the construction of a national Ulsan Carbon Neutrality Science Center and a Cano Slalom Center.

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I will work even harder than you expect. I will show you by getting stalled projects moving again and finishing promised tasks, rather than with flashy slogans.