Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) was on track to secure a significant victory in Wednesday's local elections, with exit polls indicating the liberal party leading in most crucial races against the primary opposition, the People Power Party (PPP). This outcome is expected to influence President Lee Jae Myung's second year in office.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the DP was projected to win at least 10 of the 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts at stake, as per a JTBC exit poll. A separate exit poll by KBS, MBC, and SBS suggested the DP leading in 11 key races, while the PPP was ahead in only one race, the governorship of North Gyeongsang Province. The polls also indicated that four to five races were too close to call.
The elections, held exactly one year after President Lee's administration began, are seen as a crucial test for the ruling party. A decisive victory would likely reinforce the government's mandate to advance its reform agenda. Additionally, the elections included 16 education superintendent seats, 227 local government head positions, and approximately 4,000 local council seats.
Chong Won-o of the DP was projected to win the critical Seoul mayoral race with 53.5% of the vote, defeating incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the PPP, who garnered 42.9%, according to the JTBC exit poll. The capital region, which houses nearly half of the country's population, is a pivotal battleground.
In Busan, DP candidate Jeon Jae-soo was expected to secure victory with 53.9% against the PPP's Park Heong-joon, as shown by the JTBC poll. The then ruling PPP had dominated 12 out of 17 major gubernatorial and mayoral positions in the 2022 local elections.
The elections also included 14 parliamentary seats in by-elections across Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, Daegu, and Busan. Of these, 13 seats were previously held by the ruling party. Exit polls were conducted in two key battlegrounds, Busan's Buk-A constituency and the Pyeongtaek-B constituency.
For the Buk-A constituency, the JTBC exit poll projected independent Han Dong-hoon to win with 48.1% against the DP's Ha Jung-woo at 37.6%. However, the KBS-MBC-SBS exit poll showed Ha expected to win with 42.6% against Han's 41.6%. In Pyeongtaek, the KBS-MBC-SBS exit poll anticipated Cho Kuk of the liberal Rebuilding Korea Party to narrowly win with 31.1%, while the JTBC poll projected the DP's Kim Yong-nam to win with 34.2%.
The results will determine whether Han and Cho, both potential presidential contenders, will secure National Assembly seats. Despite the DP's initial aim for a landslide, recent surveys showed a tightening race with the PPP. Backed by President Lee's strong approval ratings, the DP seeks to maintain its parliamentary majority and legislative momentum.
The PPP aims to consolidate conservative support amid declining public confidence and internal divisions following Yoon's failed martial law attempt in December 2024. These elections are viewed as the first nationwide test for Lee, elected after Yoon's ouster over the martial law fiasco.
Voting occurred from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 14,288 polling centers nationwide, with results for closely contested races expected well past midnight.