Among the few consolation prizes for Democratic Party of Korea’s bitter loss in Wednesday’s local elections was the resounding victory won by its candidate Oh Young-hun in the race for the Jeju governor’s office. Born and raised in the southern resort island, the 53-year-old politician was the first Democratic Party candidate to be elected Jeju governor in 20 years. Woo Keun-min in 2002 was elec...

Conservative bloc clinches 12 out of 17 metropolitan mayoral and provincial gubernatorial elections

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Thursday he takes the results of the local elections as a call from the people to revive the economy and improve their livelihoods. Yoon issued the statement through his spokesperson as the results of Wednesday's local elections and parliamentary by-elections were being finalized, with the ruling People Power Party securing 12 of the 17 key mayoral and gubernatorial ...

Counted ballots show People Power Party likely to win up to all but 4 regions

The ruling People Power Party was expected to score a major victory over the main opposition Democratic Party in the local elections Wednesday, taking mayorships in the country’s two largest cities, Seoul and Busan, according to an exit poll released by the country’s three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS. In Seoul, the People Power Party’s Mayor Oh Se-hoon showed a two-digit gap over the op...

South Jeolla Province recorded the highest turnout in Wednesday’s local elections, data showed. According to the National Election Commission’s data, voter turnout in the region came to 58.5 percent, the highest among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, as of 8 p.m. The lowest turnout was recorded in Gwangju, at 37.7 percent. Overall voter turnout marked just 50.6 percent, the lowest re...

One saves face, other handed sweeping win

KBS, MBC and SBS have announced the results of their joint exit polls regarding the two key parliamentary by-elections. According to the exit polls, Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung has the upper hand in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, and the People Power Party’s candidate Ahn Cheol-soo has the upper hand in the Bundang-gu constituency of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In Gyeyang-gu, Lee p...

People Power Party favored to win 10 out of 17 metropolitan mayoral, provincial gubernatorial elections

The ruling People Power Party appeared set for wins across the country in races for major metropolitan and provincial government leadership, with exit polls giving the party the lead in 10 of 17 territories. According to exit polls conducted by the country’s three major broadcast companies -- SBS, KBS and MBC -- 10 districts including Seoul favored candidates from the People Power Party, while c...

Oh Se-hoon of the ruling People Power Party is headed for a landslide win in the Seoul mayoral election, with exit polls putting him at 58.7 percent of the votes. The exit polls, compiled jointly by terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, showed Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea with 40.2 percent of the votes. For the governorship of Gyeonggi Province, exit polls forecast a c...

The ruling People Power Party was projected to win 10 of the 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts, including Seoul mayor, in Wednesday's local elections, according to a joint exit poll by three major TV broadcasters. The main opposition Democratic Party was expected to grab four posts, including the governorships in the Jeolla provinces, according to the poll conducted by KBS, MBC and...

Surveys, analysts hint at win for People Power Party

Ex-presidential hopefuls eye National Assembly seats

The 2022 local elections in Korea were held Wednesday, marking the eighth edition of the event since the right to elect local government leaders and assembly members. The history of local elections in Korea began in 1952 in the midst of the Korean War, with two more such elections held in 1956 and 1960. However, local elections were put on hold for nearly three decades after an authoritarian reg...