Seoul Defeat Overshadows Democratic Party’s Wins in South Korean Elections

The governing center-left party of South Korea secured a significant victory in local elections on Wednesday but faced a notable defeat in Seoul. The city’s mayoral race, deemed the second most powerful elected position after the presidency, was lost.

Surveys and exit polls had forecasted a win for President Lee Jae Myung’s Democratic Party candidate against the conservative incumbent in Seoul. The party, which already possesses a parliamentary majority, aimed to use these local elections to strengthen its influence and further President Lee’s political momentum, a year after his presidential election win.

“Seoul citizens have once again firmly established the fundamental principle of democracy: checks and balances,” stated Oh Se-hoon, the re-elected mayor of Seoul, on Thursday. “You have maintained Seoul as a bulwark of democracy, preventing South Korea from completely leaning to one side.” Democratic Party candidate Chong Won-o acknowledged his loss.

With almost all votes tallied by Thursday, the Democratic Party triumphantly claimed victory in 12 out of 16 major races for metropolitan mayors and provincial governors. These wins included Gyeonggi Province’s governorship, the populous region encircling Seoul, and the mayoral office in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, historically dominated by conservatives. The People Power Party succeeded in winning the remaining four contests, capturing the mayorship of Daegu and two gubernatorial positions in the southeastern Gyeongsang region, its long-established bastion.

In the previous local elections four years ago, the People Power Party had dominated a majority of the races. However, its influence diminished after its former leader, ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, declared martial law in late 2024. This action led to his ousting from office and a life sentence on insurrection charges.