SEOUL, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- South Korean opposition's Park Won-soon headed to victory Thursday in the Seoul mayoral race, defeating the ruling Grand National Party candidate.
Park's victory is another blow to the GNP, which has been losing popularity, and a setback to its leading presidential contender, Yonhap News reported.
The report said with nearly all votes counted Park, a lawyer-turned-activist, had won 53.3 percent of the vote against GNP's Na Kyung-won who got 46.3 percent.
Park, 55, will succeed former Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who quit in August with 2 1/2 years remaining in his term after losing a referendum on an opposition-led free school lunch program, Yonhap reported.
The Los Angeles Times had earlier reported the mayoral contest could be a harbinger for next year's presidential election in a nation where politics can be bruising.
Issues in next year's presidential election would likely include whether the voters want a continuation of GNP's tough policy against North Korea and the country's close economic and military ties with the United States.
Park, who accused Na of using her political clout to prevent an investigation of a family business, had claimed he had been a victim of personal attacks from the GNP.
