Oh Sehoon Achieves Dramatic Comeback in Fierce Battle... June 3 Local Elections: Democratic Party Wins 12 to 4

Democratic Party Wins in Key Battlegrounds Including Busan, Ulsan, and Gangwon

People Power Party Retains Strongholds in Daegu, North and South Gyeongsang

In 14 By-elections, Democratic Party Takes 9 Seats, People Power Party Wins 4

In the June 3 local elections, the Democratic Party of Korea won in 12 metropolitan areas, including the governor of Gyeonggi Province and the mayor of Busan. In the Seoul mayoral election, which experienced severe confusion due to a shortage of ballots, Oh Sehoon, the candidate from the People Power Party, succeeded in a dramatic come-from-behind victory at the final stage of vote counting.

Seoul Mayor candidate from the People Power Party, Oh Se-hoon, is speaking at the campaign office set up in Daewang Building, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 4th, the day after the 9th nationwide local elections. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the National Election Commission on June 4, with 97.8% of the votes counted as of 10 a.m., Oh Sehoon won the Seoul mayoral election with 49.0% of the votes, defeating Democratic Party candidate Jeong Wonoh, who received 48.3%. Although Jeong had been leading since the beginning of the count the previous day, Oh overtook him at around 7:15 a.m. on June 4, as vote counting accelerated in Gangnam districts such as Songpa-gu after 13 hours of counting. Although severe confusion was expected after the election due to the ballot shortage at 14 polling stations in Seoul, Oh's come-from-behind victory is likely to quell the debate over a re-vote raised by the People Power Party.

Although the Democratic Party lost the highly anticipated Seoul mayoral race, Democratic Party candidates Jeon Jae-soo (50.5%) in Busan and Kim Sangwook (48.7%) in Ulsan—both considered swing regions—were elected as mayor. In Gangwon Province, Democratic Party candidate Woo Sangho won with 51.8%, while in North Chungcheong Province, Shin Yonghan secured victory with 54.6%. In South Chungcheong Province, Park Soohyun won with 52.5%.

The Democratic Party also secured victories in the Mayor of the Integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju (candidate Min Hyungbae, 79%), Incheon mayor (Park Chan-dae, 52.8%), Daejeon mayor (Heo Taejeong, 53.5%), Sejong mayor (Jo Sangho, 61%), Gyeonggi Province governor (Choo Mihae, 55%), and Jeju governor (Wi Seonggon, 63.1%). In the North Jeolla Province governor election, which was expected to be a close race with an independent candidate, Democratic Party candidate Lee Wontak was elected with a relatively large margin at 51.2%.

In addition to the Seoul mayoral race, the People Power Party also won in the Daegu mayoral, North Gyeongsang governor, and South Gyeongsang governor elections. In Daegu, People Power Party candidate Chu Kyungho (53.9%) defeated Kim Bu-gyeom. In North Gyeongsang Province, Lee Cheolwoo of the People Power Party won with 67.2%, and in South Gyeongsang Province, Park Wansoo of the People Power Party was elected with 51.4%.

On the 4th, supporters of Oh Se-hoon, the candidate for Seoul mayor from the People Power Party, and members of the election campaign committee are joyfully watching the vote counting broadcast at Oh’s election campaign office set up in Daewang Building, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In the parliamentary by-elections, which were held alongside the local elections, opposition party candidates performed well. Of the 14 constituencies, 13 had been won by the Democratic Party in the previous general election, but this time, the Democratic Party managed to win only 9. The People Power Party secured victories in 4 constituencies.

In particular, the Busan Buk-gap by-election drew significant attention, with independent candidate Han Donghoon winning. In the Pyeongtaek-eul by-election in Gyeonggi Province, Yoo Eui-dong of the People Power Party defeated Kim Yongnam of the Democratic Party and Cho Kuk of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. Additionally, in Ulsan Nam-gap, candidate Kim Taegyu was elected; in Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province, candidate Yoon Yonggeun was elected. In Dalseong, Daegu, Lee Jinsook of the People Power Party secured victory.

The Democratic Party achieved wins in Incheon Yeonsu-gap (Song Younggil), Incheon Gyeyang-eul (Kim Namjun), Gwangju Gwangsan-eul (Im Munyeong), Gyeonggi Ansan-gap (Kim Namguk), Gyeonggi Hanam-gap (Lee Kwangjae), Asan-eul, South Chungcheong Province (Jeon Eunsu), Gunsan-Gimje-Buan-gap, North Jeolla Province (Kim Uigyeom), Gunsan-Gimje-Buan, North Jeolla Province (Park Jiweon), and Seogwipo, Jeju Province (Kim Seongbeom).

This election, conducted during the first year of the Lee Jaemyung administration, saw a high voter turnout. The National Election Commission reported that, out of 44,649,908 eligible voters for the local elections, 27,249,586 participated, according to provisional figures. The provisional turnout rate stands at 61%, the second highest in the history of local elections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.