The recent general election witnessed an extraordinary event, very much like rare cases at soccer matches.
As a recent example, the Netherlands has failed to advance to the Euro2016 tournament, slated for this summer, as it ranked below the Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey in a regional qualifying round.
Considering that the number of advancing teams has increased from 16 to 24, starting from this event in Paris, the dropping out of the Netherlands -- which was runner-up in 2010 and third in the 2014 FIFA World Cup -- was quite shocking.
Likewise, we saw some unusual results in Gangnam, Songpa, Gangdong and Bundang during the election Wednesday.
Candidates from the conservative party yielded to liberals as they took only three out of the 10 seats in the four districts of the Seoul metropolitan area, which are regarded as home turf of the ruling Saenuri Party. It handed over the remaining seven seats to the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea.
The greatest shock was seen in the Gangnam-B constituency. While some observers say that a liberal’s victory marked the first time since former lawmaker Hong Sa-duk won in the affluent district in 1992, the winning of Jeon Hyun-hee from the Minjoo Party was de facto the first time in 31 years since 1985, when the 12th general election was held. Hong should be excluded as he later worked for then-presidential candidate Park Geun-hye and served as lawmaker of the Saenuri Party.
The district was a barrier, which could not be wrested from the conservatives, even when liberals -- former presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun -- scored triumphs in 1997 and 2002, respectively.
Few people would also have anticipated that the liberal candidates would sweep Bundang, Songpa and Gangdong, all of which are considered as a wealthy pan-Gangnam area in southern Seoul.
The similarity between the Netherlands’ soccer team and the Saenuri Party could be traced to the excessive conceit, looking down on their counterparts. Their failure might be destined results rather than extraordinary happenings.
Observers say that Gangnam-B’s Saenuri candidate Kim Jong-hoon were quite negligent in meeting with voters during the election campaign, compared to his counterpart Jeon of the main opposition. Kim and his party might have thought that the possibility of losing in the ruling party’s stronghold was almost zero.
Another case representing the ruling party’s unusual defeat was also seen in Ilsan, which is located north of Seoul. The district has mostly elected conservatives during past elections over the last decade. This time, however, no Saenuri candidate was chosen in the four constituencies of Ilsan-gu, Goyang City.
Gangnam voters have held up a yellow card to the Saenuri Party and President Park Geun-hye. A red card from the affluent districts could be feasible if the incumbent administration repeats policy failures, particularly with regard to the economy.
More significantly, the Park administration has to drop its self-righteousness and show integrity in collecting public opinions. Citizens have continued to pick lack of will to communicate with the public for the government’s critical wrongdoing.
When the seats taken in Gyeongsang and Gangwon provinces are excluded, the result for the Saenuri in other districts across the nation was also pathetic.
