Conflicting Polls Spark Celebration at Han Dong-hoon Campaign Office

Supporters of independent candidate Han Dong-hoon celebrated at his campaign office after a predictive poll suggested he was leading in the Busan Buk-gap by-election ^[1].

The shift in mood follows a period of high tension as different polling sources provided contradictory projections for the race. The outcome of this by-election serves as a critical indicator of political momentum for Han as an independent candidate.

Earlier on the day of the election, exit polls from three major broadcasters showed Han trailing behind Democratic Party candidate Ha Jeong-woo ^[1]. According to those results, Han held a 41.6% share ^[1] while Ha led with 42.6% ^[1]. The gap between the two candidates was approximately one percentage point ^[1].

Supporters gathered at the Hanjin Building in the Buk-gu district of Busan to monitor the broadcasts ^[1]. The atmosphere remained anxious until a subsequent predictive poll from JTBC was released, which projected Han to be ahead of Ha ^[1].

This second projection triggered an immediate reaction from the crowd. Supporters began shouting "Han Dong-hoon wins" and raised their fists while chanting the candidate's name ^[1].

A campaign spokesperson said the camp was filled with applause and cheers following the JTBC announcement ^[1]. The contrast between the initial exit polls and the later prediction created a volatile emotional environment for the staff and volunteers watching the results in real time ^[1].

Despite the celebrations, the official results depend on the final vote count. The discrepancy between the three-broadcaster exit poll and the JTBC prediction highlights the narrow margin of the race.