Busan's Buk-A by-election showing neck-and-neck race between ex-AI presidential chief, ex-PPP leader

Democratic Party of Korea candidate Ha Jung-woo led independent candidate Han Dong-hoon by one percentage point in the Busan's Buk-A parliamentary by-election exit poll, with Ha at 42.6 percent and Han at 41.6 percent. The neck-and-neck race between the former AI presidential chief and the former PPP leader is one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the by-elections, potentially shaping the country's political landscape.

Ha Jung-woo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea DPK and independent candidate Han Dong-hoon are locked in a neck-and-neck race in the parliamentary by-election for Busan's Buk-A constituency, according to an exit poll released 6 p.m. Wednesday by the country's three major broadcasters. In the joint exit poll conducted by KBS, MBC and SBS, Ha held a narrow lead with 42.6 percent of the vote, while Han garnered 41.6 percent, within the margin of error. Park Min-shik of the main opposition People Power Party PPP gained 15.8 percent. The constituency emerged as one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the parliamentary by-elections, which were held alongside the local elections, seen as a duel between Han and Ha that could play a role in shaping the country’s political landscape. Ha was the inaugural senior presidential secretary for artificial intelligence AI and future planning. While overseeing the Lee Jae Myung administration's AI strategy, the Busan native joined the DPK's race following repeated calls by the party's leadership, which sought to recruit professionals