The 6.3 presidential election demonstrated that public sentiment on the Korean Peninsula is divided between the east and west. In the Honam region, the progressive camp candidate received support, while in the Yeongnam region, the conservative camp candidate garnered votes, reflecting the public sentiment in this presidential election.
The pivotal public sentiment in the metropolitan area was entirely centered around Lee Jae-myung. In Seoul, the vote gap between the two candidates was only 1 percentage point, but in Gyeonggi and Incheon, Lee Jae-myung led Kim by over 10 percentage points.
Even during the exit polls, it was expected that Lee Jae-myung would lead Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, in Ulsan and Gangwon, but the actual counting results were different. In Busan and Gyeongnam, where a tight race was anticipated, Kim Moon-soo surpassed Lee Jae-myung by over 10 percentage points.
At 3:45 a.m. on the 4th, when the vote counting rate reached 99%, Lee Jae-myung received 49.29% of valid votes, while Kim Moon-soo obtained 41.33%. The vote difference between the two candidates was 2,757,904 votes.
Lee Jae-myung received overwhelming support in Gwangju (84.8%), Jeonnam (85.9%), and Jeonbuk (82.7%) regions. The strong backing from the Honam area has been reaffirmed. In these three regions, Kim Moon-soo's vote rate was low, exceeding only 10% in Jeonbuk, while it was in the 8% range in Gwangju and Jeonnam.
Kim Moon-soo demonstrated strength in Daegu (67.6%) and Gyeongbuk (67.05%), which are known as 'conservative strongholds.' In addition, he recorded a majority in Busan (51.4%) and Gyeongnam (52%), surpassing Lee Jae-myung. In Ulsan, Kim Moon-soo also obtained 47.6% of the votes, outpacing Lee Jae-myung who garnered 42.5%.
There is a significant divergence from the exit poll results of the three major broadcasting companies. In the Ulsan exit polls, Lee Jae-myung's approval rating was expected to be 46.5%, surpassing Kim Moon-soo (44.3%).
The public sentiment in Chungcheong, which has become a nationwide election barometer, leaned towards Lee Jae-myung. In Daejeon, Lee Jae-myung received 48.5% of the votes, while Kim Moon-soo gained 40.6%, and in Chungbuk and Chungnam, the votes were split at 47 (Lee Jae-myung): 43 (Kim Moon-soo).
In Gyeonggi, Seoul, and Incheon, where the most votes were at stake, Lee Jae-myung also surpassed Kim Moon-soo.
Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party candidate, recorded single-digit approval rates in all regions. Lee Jun-seok's nationwide approval rate was 8.3%, failing to achieve the double-digit approval rate he aimed for.