Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
DPK dominates local elections, wins 12 of 16 mayoral, provincial races
People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon celebrates with a bouquet at his campaign office in Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday, after emerging as the projected winner of the Seoul mayoral election by a narrow margin. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
Oh Se-hoon elected to fifth term as Seoul mayor in narrow victory
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won 12 of the country’s 16 mayoral and provincial governor races in Wednesday’s local elections, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) secured four, according to final results released by the National Election Commission (NEC) Thursday.
The election was the first nationwide vote since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year and was widely seen as an early test of public sentiment toward his administration.
The outcome was viewed as reflecting continued support for Lee and the ruling party, while delivering a setback to the PPP, which has struggled with internal divisions following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment and the party’s defeat in last year’s presidential election.
DPK Chair Jung Chung-rae thanked voters for the party’s strong showing nationwide while expressing disappointment over the mayoral results in Seoul, where candidate Chong Won-o fell short by a narrow margin.
“I thank and respect the people’s wise choice,” Jung told reporters at the National Assembly. “The people gave the DPK a major victory nationwide, but it is painful that we failed to reclaim Seoul.”
Democratic Party of Korea Chair Jung Chung-rae bows after a news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, following the local elections. Yonhap
One of the night's biggest surprises came in the capital, where incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat Chong. The DPK challenger had led for much of the vote count before Oh overtook him in the final stages to secure a record fifth term as Seoul mayor.
Chong conceded defeat Thursday morning, saying he would “humbly accept” the voters’ decision.
“I was not good enough. Everything is my responsibility,” Chong told supporters at his campaign headquarters, congratulating Oh on his victory.
Oh described the result as a victory for ordinary citizens rather than for any political faction.
“I sincerely thank the people of Seoul,” Oh said after his victory was confirmed. “This election result is a victory for ordinary, hardworking citizens.”
In Busan, DPK candidate Chun Jae-soo defeated incumbent Mayor Park Heong-joon, while in Daegu, PPP candidate Choo Kyung-ho held the conservative stronghold, denying the DPK a historic upset.
The ruling party also performed strongly in races for local government heads across the country, winning 119 of 227 mayoral, county chief and district chief posts. The PPP took 95, while the Rebuilding Korea Party won two and independents captured 11.
In Seoul’s district chief elections, the DPK swept 17 of the capital’s 25 districts, leaving the PPP with eight.
In the 14 parliamentary by-elections held alongside local races, the DPK won nine seats, the PPP four and independents one. Independent candidate Han Dong-hoon won the closely watched Busan Buk-A race, securing a seat in the National Assembly after being expelled from the PPP.
The PPP, however, avoided a complete rout by holding on to Seoul, Daegu, North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang provinces.
The DPK’s strength was particularly evident in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Chungcheong region and Gangwon Province, while the PPP largely retained its dominance in its traditional heartlands of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.
The results are expected to reignite debate within the PPP over its future direction and leadership following another disappointing nationwide election performance.
Late Wednesday evening, the PPP criticized election authorities over a ballot shortage issue affecting several districts in southern Seoul and Incheon and called for a revote in Seoul, but the NEC continued its counting process.