Independent candidate Han Dong-hoon greets supporters on June 4 at his campaign office in Busan's Buk District after his by-election win is confirmed. [YONHAP]
Han Dong-hoon, the former People Power Party (PPP) leader who was expelled from the party in January, won a National Assembly by-election in Busan's Buk-A constituency early Thursday, claiming the first parliamentary seat of his political career.
Han, who ran as an independent after his expulsion, defeated Democratic Party candidate Ha Jung-woo and the PPP's Park Min-shik in a tight three-way race, a result widely seen as reviving his standing in conservative politics.
Related Article
With all the ballots counted as of 8:22 a.m. Thursday, Han had 42.96 percent of the vote, ahead of Ha's 41.26 percent, a margin of 1.7 percentage points. Park trailed with 15.76 percent.
