Turnout falls short of expectations in Seoul's free lunch vote

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with turnout, comments from official; ADDS context; CHANGES headline)
By Shim Sun-ah and Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- A tense mood prevailed in Seoul as voters went to the polls Wednesday to decide the fate of the city's free school lunch program in a vote seen as a test of public sentiment on the scope of welfare spending ahead of next year's crucial elections.
The referendum is about whether to enforce an opposition-led free school lunch program for all or limit the program to students from low-income families as proposed by the conservative mayor.
But it is also considered a de facto vote of confidence on Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon as he vowed to stake his office on the result.
The opposition-controlled city council passed a bill last December to provide free school meals gradually to all students. The local educational office carried out the plan by providing first through fourth graders with free lunch this year.
Oh, a strong presidential aspirant of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), called the referendum, offering to limit the program to students from families in the bottom 50 percent income bracket.
The mayor and his supporters say the program should be introduced in stages, as it could open the doors wide for more populist polices that could weigh on the state budget. His opponents argue that poor students who receive free lunch could be stigmatized at school.
Oh gave a tearful news conference on Sunday, vowing to step down if voter turnout fell short of the one-third cutoff or if his proposal fails to win support from voters.



All attention is now on whether the turnout will surpass one-third of the capital's nearly 8.4 million eligible voters, a quorum needed to make the vote valid.
Opposition parties and liberal activists have fiercely called for a boycott of the vote.
If voter turnout exceeds the 33.3 percent quorum despite the opposition-led boycott campaign, it would be a boon for the mayor and his ruling party, which accused the program of being a "welfare populist" policy. If the referendum ends in failure, either due to low turnout or a majority in favor of the opposition, it would deal a serious blow to Oh.
The turnout was 23.5 percent as of 7 p.m., only one hour before the polls close, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission.
As turnout was far lower than originally expected, the city administration and a network of conservative civic groups were on alert, striving to rally support from conservative voters.
"It's true that the turnout is lower than expected as of now, but it is too early to give up. We still have hope because GNP supporters are working briskly to encourage voting and the sentiment of those voting on their way home from work could change the result," Lee Jong-hyeon, a spokesman for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said.
Turnout is unlikely to meet the 33.3 percent requirement even if a large number of voters head to the polls after work.
Since South Korea adopted residents' referendums in 2004, local governments have only polled the public three times on administrative affairs, with this being the first such vote for Seoul.
In the ongoing referendum, turnout was the highest in Seocho, a well-off district in southern Seoul, and among the capital's middle-aged and elderly residents. The results are expected to come around midnight.



ejkim@yna.co.kr