Image: Local Election vote count as of 3 a.m. KST. Credit: Naver.com.
In the Local Elections 지방선거 held on June 3, the first national election since the beginning of the Lee Jae-myung 이재명 administration, the ruling Democratic Party 민주당 is poised to win a commanding victory, taking at least 13 out of 16 largest local jurisdictions with one race too close to call. The liberals reversed the stinging loss from 2022, when the People Power Party 국민의힘 took the mayor and governor seats of 12 out of 17 jurisdictions.
Still reeling from the insurrection attempt by the right-wing former president Yoon Suk-yeol 윤석열, the PPP could only hold onto the conservative bulwarks, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province 경상북도 and Daegu 대구 where they still faced a closer race than they typically do. The PPP is currently leading in Gyeongsangnam-do Province 경상남도, but the race is too close to call.
In the closely watched by-elections for Assembly seats, independent Han Dong-hun 한동훈 won the Busan Buk-gu A 부산 북구 갑 District, making a comeback after being banished from the PPP for refusing to support Yoon's insurrection.
On the other hand, the comeback bid for Cho Kuk 조국 of the Rebuilding Korea Party 조국혁신당 fell short as he came in third place in Gyeonggi-do Pyeongtaek B 경기도 평택 을 District. The PPP candidate Yu Eui-dong 유의동 won the liberal-leaning district as Cho and the Democratic candidate Kim Yong-nam 김용남 split the vote.
The final turnout for the Local Elections was 61.0%, the second-highest turnout for Local Elections and an 11% jump from the 2022 Local Elections.
TBR Newsletter will take a break through next week, and return in the week of June 14, 2026.
