South Korea Local Elections: Ruling Party Wins Majority of Seats but Likely to Lose Seoul Mayoral Race
Preliminary results from South Korea's local elections show the ruling Democratic Party winning a majority of seats nationwide, but it is expected to lose the crucial Seoul mayoral race. Incumbent People Power Party Mayor Oh Se-hoon leads by a narrow margin. The election was marred by ballot shortages, sparking protests.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 10:32
- 🔍 Collected: June 4, 2026 at 10:50 (18 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 16:17 (53h 26m after Collected)
(CNA, Seoul, 4th, Combined Foreign Reports) According to preliminary vote counts released today, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, led by President Lee Jae-myung, has secured a majority of seats in local elections but appears poised to lose the key Seoul mayoral race, an election also marred by a ballot shortage controversy.
Reuters reported that incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the opposition People Power Party is expected to narrowly win in the capital, leading his Democratic Party challenger Chong Won-o by a slim margin as of 8:00 AM local time today.
According to concurrent counts by the National Election Commission, Democratic Party candidates won in Busan and are leading in 12 of the 16 metropolitan mayor and provincial governor races nationwide, though counting continues in some areas.
Despite the Democratic Party's overall gains, losing Seoul, the country's largest city and a politically significant symbol, will be a heavy blow to President Lee, complicating expectations of sweeping support in his first year in office.
Analysts say controlling the capital carries immense political weight, and even with victories in most local government races, this outcome could weaken his claim to a national mandate.
Nevertheless, the Democratic Party's overall performance indicates President Lee still enjoys considerable national support, buoyed by strong export growth driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) chip boom and a subsequent stock market rally, factors that have helped sustain his high approval ratings.
Voting in some parts of Seoul was disrupted by ballot shortages at multiple polling stations due to higher-than-expected turnout.
Ballot shortages were reported at over a dozen polling stations, forcing some voters to wait for hours or leave without voting, leading to extended voting hours at affected stations.
The incident sparked protests from some voters and conservative groups. Before it appeared he would retain the mayoralty, members of the People Power Party gathered outside the National Election Commission, demanding a halt to counting and a re-election, arguing the election had been "tainted."
The National Election Commission apologized and said it would conduct a full investigation but stated the incident did not constitute grounds for postponing the election or holding a revote. (Editor: Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150604
Reuters reported that incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the opposition People Power Party is expected to narrowly win in the capital, leading his Democratic Party challenger Chong Won-o by a slim margin as of 8:00 AM local time today.
According to concurrent counts by the National Election Commission, Democratic Party candidates won in Busan and are leading in 12 of the 16 metropolitan mayor and provincial governor races nationwide, though counting continues in some areas.
Despite the Democratic Party's overall gains, losing Seoul, the country's largest city and a politically significant symbol, will be a heavy blow to President Lee, complicating expectations of sweeping support in his first year in office.
Analysts say controlling the capital carries immense political weight, and even with victories in most local government races, this outcome could weaken his claim to a national mandate.
Nevertheless, the Democratic Party's overall performance indicates President Lee still enjoys considerable national support, buoyed by strong export growth driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) chip boom and a subsequent stock market rally, factors that have helped sustain his high approval ratings.
Voting in some parts of Seoul was disrupted by ballot shortages at multiple polling stations due to higher-than-expected turnout.
Ballot shortages were reported at over a dozen polling stations, forcing some voters to wait for hours or leave without voting, leading to extended voting hours at affected stations.
The incident sparked protests from some voters and conservative groups. Before it appeared he would retain the mayoralty, members of the People Power Party gathered outside the National Election Commission, demanding a halt to counting and a re-election, arguing the election had been "tainted."
The National Election Commission apologized and said it would conduct a full investigation but stated the incident did not constitute grounds for postponing the election or holding a revote. (Editor: Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150604