Kwon Young-guk, the presidential candidate for South Korea’s left-wing Democratic Labor Party (Yonhap)
Kwon Young-guk, the presidential candidate for South Korea’s left-wing Democratic Labor Party (Yonhap)

Kwon Young-guk, the presidential candidate for South Korea’s far-left Democratic Labor Party, received just 0.98 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s early election. But in a Facebook post Wednesday, he said he was not giving up.

“We will start again with those we must represent, which are workers, farmers, women, small business owners, sexual minorities, people with disabilities, migrant workers and the movement for climate justice,” Kwon said. “We will move forward with strength and integrity, staying true to the path we’ve walked.”

Despite the low vote count, the party reported a surge in donations almost immediately after exit polls were released by South Korea’s three major broadcasters at 8 p.m. on election night.

According to party officials, the Democratic Labor Party raised 878 million won ($639,000) between May 8 and 8 p.m. on June 3. In the two hours following the release of the exit polls, it raised an additional 650 million won.

Kang Nam-gyu, the party’s spokesperson, said the election was widely viewed as a referendum on the "insurrection" forces, namely former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and the former ruling People Power Party. He added that the donation surge reflects support for Kwon among voters who cast their ballots for the leading liberal candidate, Lee Jae-myung, who won the election.

“Many people who couldn’t vote for Kwon seem to be expressing their support through donations instead,” Kang said.

Lee won the election with 49.42 percent of the vote, defeating conservative rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, who received 41.15 percent.


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