The ruling Democratic Party has swept most seats in local elections but failed to flip the crucial Seoul mayoral seat, official results showed, in a sign that voters sought to keep a check on its power.
The vote was seen as an early referendum on President Lee Jae-myung’s first year in office.
He took power after months of political upheaval triggered by his conservative predecessor’s declaration of martial law.
While Lee’s party won most major races, incumbent conservative mayor Oh Se-hoon narrowly retained Seoul yesterday, defeating the Democratic Party’s rising star Chong Won-o in a close contest.
With 99.54% of ballots counted, Oh, of the People Power Party (PPP), held 49.15% of the vote, all but securing victory with Chong trailing on 48.13% and few votes left to be counted.
“This election is a victory for common sense,” Oh said, adding South Koreans “have left Seoul as the last safety net of democracy to prevent (the country) from tilting completely to one side”.
About 50% of the country’s population resides in Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan area.
Analysts said the failure by Lee’s ally to flip Seoul may suggest an undercurrent of discontent with his liberal party, even though general support for the PPP has collapsed.
Shin Yul, a political science professor, said the Seoul defeat suggested that centrist voters may have become dissatisfied with the Lee administration.
Lee said the government would “humbly accept the will of the people” and work with newly- elected municipal governments regardless of political affiliation.
The Seoul mayoral seat draws extra scrutiny because of the capital’s outsized economic, cultural and political weight, said Byunghwan Son, director of George Mason University’s Korean Studies Center.
“Since the election of former president Lee Myung-bak, who was a highly-visible Seoul mayor, the position has been widely considered a major stepping stone for presidential hopefuls,” he said.
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.
Yoon’s PPP remains divided over the episode. Its popularity has collapsed and it suffered a crushing defeat in the local elections – a stark reversal from the landslide victory it secured four years ago. — AFP
