Voting begins in S. Korea's by-elections

SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- Voters in five districts began going to the polls to elect new lawmakers and officials Wednesday, with the outcome expected serve as a barometer of public sentiment in the first nationwide election since the inauguration of President Lee Myung-bak last year.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close 14 hours later. Results may come in from
around 10 p.m., the nation's elections watchdog said. Up for grabs are five
legislature positions, left vacant by lawmakers disqualified after being
convicted of election law violations in the April 2008 general elections. Other
races include city council members and education board superintendents.
The parliamentary by-elections are regarded as a crucial litmus test for the Lee
government that is anxious to garner public support for its drive to reform the
public sector and revitalize the sagging economy.
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) is hoping to win three of the five seats at
stake to claim public backing for the party. The main opposition Democratic Party
(DP), also aiming for three, is urging voters to judge the Lee administration and
the GNP for what it calls a string of "policy failures."
Observers are keeping particularly close tabs on a district in the city of
Bupyeong, west of Seoul, where the GNP's Lee Jae-hoon, a former vice minister of
knowledge economy, and the DP's Hong Young-pyo, formerly a labor activist and
secretary to the prime minister, are running a tight race. The district is
regarded as a critical constituency because of its proximity to the capital.
odissy@yna.co.kr