Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is projected to secure at least 10 out of 16 pivotal races in the local elections held on Wednesday, according to exit polls conducted by major broadcasters.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Democratic Party is anticipated to claim victory in 10 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial positions, based on exit poll results from JTBC. Meanwhile, a separate poll conducted by KBS, MBC, and SBS indicates the DP might win 11 significant races. Conversely, the main opposition, the People Power Party (PPP), is expected to secure only one position, with four to five races remaining too close to definitively call.

This year's local elections were crucial, with 16 mayoral and gubernatorial positions, 16 education superintendent seats, 227 local government head positions, and approximately 4,000 local council seats up for grabs. Among the hotly contested battlegrounds, Chong Won-o of the DP is projected to win the Seoul mayoral race, garnering 53.5 percent of the vote against the incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the PPP, who received 42.9 percent, as per the JTBC exit poll. In Busan, a southeastern city, DP candidate Jeon Jae-soo is expected to triumph with 53.9 percent of the vote over the PPP's Park Heong-joon, according to the JTBC poll.