[Analysis] Victory of key aides anticipated to give Lee renewed momentum

Two trusted associates of President Lee Myung-bak won legislative seats in Wednesday’s by-elections, saving the face of the embattled leader and his conservative party, which had been reeling from the previous election loss.

Lee Jae-oh, former chief of an anticorruption body, and Yoon Jin-shik, former presidential secretary for economy, gained the posts in the generally politically-neutral regions of Seoul and Chungcheong, respectively, giving the president new momentum as he enters the second half of his five-year term. The two, running on the ruling Grand National Party’s ticket, had competed against unified opposition candidates representing more than one party.