Top Stories 26/06/04 South Korea's ruling party heads for local election sweep

[성기화 요셉]

The election is an early referendum on President Lee Jae Myung's first year in office 

Mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon (C) of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party celebrates his victory after national TV predicted his win in the local elections at his campaign camp in Seoul on June 4. (Photo: AFP)

By AFP, Seoul

Published: June 04, 2026 07:45 AM GMT

Updated: June 04, 2026 07:47 AM GMT

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party is poised to dominate local elections held on June 3, leading in all but three metropolitan races, official data shows.

The Democratic Party was leading in 13 of 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races -- including Seoul -- as of early Thursday with 66 percent of ballots counted, according to data from the National Election Commission.

The elections were widely seen as an early referendum on President Lee Jae Myung's first year in office. He took office after months of political upheaval triggered by his predecessor's declaration of martial law.

While Lee's party is expected to sweep most major races, the Seoul mayoral contest -- arguably the most significant -- is being fiercely contested by the opposition, which has cited disruptions caused by ballot shortages and called for the election to be annulled.

The National Election Commission was forced to issue an apology after 14 polling stations in Seoul ran short of ballot papers in an unprecedented mishap blamed on its failure to anticipate voter turnout.

Some stations remained open until 10 pm (1300 GMT) to allow voters to cast their ballots, but the measure did little to contain criticism over the commission's handling of the election.

Voter turnout stood at 61 percent, according to the NEC.

Lee was elected president in June 2025 after six months of political turmoil triggered by his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law in December 2024 before being impeached and removed from office.

While Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) remains divided over the episode, its popularity has collapsed and is on track to suffer a crushing defeat in Wednesday's local elections -- a stark reversal from the landslide victory it secured four years ago.

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, has benefited from Lee's strong public standing, with his approval ratings hovering around 60 percent, as well as buoyant financial markets. The benchmark Kospi stock index has risen more than 210 percent over the past year.

First test

Wednesday's election "is the first nationwide test of the Lee Jae Myung administration, coming almost exactly one year after it took office", Gi-wook Shin, a sociology professor at Stanford University, told AFP.

While Lee is enjoying high approval ratings, the PPP remains "without a credible, unified leadership after the martial law crisis and Yoon's impeachment", he said.

The Seoul mayoral election has drawn particular attention because the post is widely regarded as a stepping stone to the presidency.

Lee Myung-bak won the presidency in 2007 after serving as Seoul mayor.

The significance of the post has grown in recent years as Seoul, a city of 9.5 million people, has emerged as a global cultural hub thanks to the international popularity of South Korean cultural exports, including Kpop.

With 42 percent of ballots counted, progressive candidate Chong Won-o was leading incumbent mayor Oh Se-hoon by 14 percentage points early Thursday.

Another focus was the outcome of a by-election for a parliamentary seat in Busan, where Yoon's former justice minister Han Dong-hoon ran as an independent candidate.

Han, once one of Yoon's closest allies, broke with the former president on the night martial law was declared, a move praised by his supporters but criticised by Yoon loyalists.

The race was widely viewed as a test of Han's political viability and a potential springboard for a future presidential bid.

Han won the seat, a result likely to bolster speculation about his presidential ambitions.