LOC10:36
07:36 GMT
TOKYO, June 2 (KUNA) -- South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) clinched a resounding victory in local elections, giving the newly inaugurated government of President Yoon Suk-yeol an added mandate to push forward with its agenda, Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday.
The PPP won 12 out of 17 key races for big city mayors and provincial governors, including Seoul, while the main opposition Democratic Party won five key races, according to the report.
"I take the election results as the people's call to revive the economy and take better care of their livelihoods," Yoon said in a statement issued after the election results were finalized.
"For this, I will navigate the difficulties hand in hand with local governments. The Yoon Suk-yeol government will put all of its energy into stabilizing the public's livelihoods with the attitude that the first, second and third (most important thing) is the economy," the statement read.
Up for grabs in this year's local elections were positions for 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governorships, 226 lower-level administrative leadership positions, as well as 872 seats in provincial and metropolitan councils, with 2,988 being in lower-level local councils.
Tentative turnout for this year's local elections was tallied at 50.9 percent, as 22.5 million of 44.3 million eligible voters cast ballots, according to the National Election Commission. (end)
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