About this election
Election date
June 3, 2026 (Wed) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Early votingMay 29, 2026 (Fri) to May 30, 2026 (Sat) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
News
Why this election matters to you
Even if you can't vote, these elected officials shape the daily realities for everyone living in Korea.
- Education
International school policy, English programs, school safety inspections
- Transport
Bus routes, subway extensions, bike lanes, parking regulations
- Health care
Local clinic hours, foreign language medical services, health centers
- Housing
Rent control policies, redevelopment zones, building permits
- Multicultural policy
Foreign resident support centers, translation services, cultural programs
- Local admin
Business permits, local tax services, community facility access
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2026 local elections
‘It’s about democracy, suffrage, sovereignty of people’
University students across the country denounced the ballot shortages in last week's local elections as a fundamental violation of the right to vote and the Constitution, demanding sweeping reforms at the National Election Commission (NEC). They warned the political parties, both liberal and conservative, that they should not use the issue for their own political gains, saying the students are calling for a thorough investigation to establish the reason behind the ballot shortages and measures to prevent a repeat of the incident. Student bodies at 18 universities issued a joint declaration Wednesday, a week after at least 91 polling stations nationwide faced ballot shortages, leaving many voters unable to cast their ballots or forced to wait past the 6 p.m. closing time. Former NEC Chairman Roh Tae-ak resigned days later to take responsibility, and a joint police-prosecution investigation was launched this week. “We gathered here not merely to speak about the flaws in the electoral system, but to speak about the one vote that was taken from us,” Hwang In-seo, emergency council head
2d ago
2026 local elections
Rival parties request parliamentary probe into ballot shortage in local elections
The rival parties each submitted a request Monday for a parliamentary investigation into an unprecedented shortage of ballots in last week's local elections, both calling for a thorough probe into what caused the incident but differing over its scope. The ruling Democratic Party or Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) separately filed their requests at the National Assembly's bills division but said they will hold follow-up discussions to narrow differences over details of the proposed probe. The PPP proposed forming an 18-member special committee to oversee the probe for 60 days, with nine members from each of the rival parties and a PPP member chairing the committee. Under the PPP's proposal, a special committee will look into the cause of the ballot shortage and whether it infringed upon voters' rights, as well as what the party described as violent police suppression during the removal of the ballot boxes from a polling station. Separately, the party plans to introduce a bill seeking an independent counsel probe into the incident. The ruling DPK submitted its o
Jun 8, 2026
2026 local elections
Seoul result denies both major parties outright victory in local elections
The aftermath of Korea’s June 3 local elections has produced an unusual political landscape, with neither the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) nor the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) able to claim an unequivocal victory. While the ruling party dominated the nationwide race for metropolitan and provincial governor posts, the PPP retained the Seoul mayoralty and secured several key strategic districts, complicating efforts by either side to frame the election as a clear mandate. On paper, the DPK emerged as the clear winner. The party captured 12 of the nation’s 16 metropolitan and provincial chief executive posts, reinforcing its dominance in local government. Such a result would traditionally be regarded as a sweeping mandate. Yet internal debate quickly followed as party members questioned whether the outcome fully reflected public support. Much of the scrutiny has focused on the Seoul mayoral race, where the DPK failed to win control of the capital, the country’s largest and most politically influential local office. The loss, combined with defeats in a few by-elec
Jun 7, 2026
2026 local elections
Final tally for local elections completed after counting omitted ballots
The final vote count for this week's local elections was completed Friday, two days after a shortage of ballot papers disrupted voting at over a dozen polling stations in Seoul. Election officials declared the final tally for the June 3 vote after reflecting the results from two ballot boxes that were counted belatedly due to a blockade staged by protesters alleging election fraud. Earlier in the day, police dispersed a crowd of protesters and secured the ballot boxes, containing around 2,000 ballots, at a polling station in Seoul's Songpa Ward. Friday's tally did not significantly alter the election results, including the razor-thin Seoul mayoral race. The final count showed that incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party won with 49.22 percent of the vote, defeating Chong Won-o of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea by 1.15 percentage points, or 60,259 votes. During Wednesday's elections, ballot shortages were reported at polling stations in Seoul, including in the southeastern wards of Songpa and Gangnam, prompting temporary suspensions of voting there.
Jun 5, 2026
2026 local elections
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKA young Chinese’s first encounter with Korea’s election fever
For many Chinese people born after the mid-1990s, Korea first arrived not as a country, but as a cultural phenomenon. My generation grew up with Korean dramas and reality shows. I watched "Full House" with my mom, discussed "We Got Married" with classmates after school and later followed "My Love from the Star," which became a cultural sensation among young Chinese viewers. Although cultural exchanges became less visible in China after the dispute over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, in Korea erupted in 2016, causing a rift between the Chinese and Korean governments, interest in Korean society never entirely disappeared. Films such as "12.12: The Day" and works by writers like Han Kang and Kim Ae-ran have continued to attract young Chinese audiences, many of whom see echoes of their own experiences in the social pressures, competition and inequalities portrayed. Perhaps that is why many young Chinese look to Korea not only for entertainment, but also for perspective. That was the Korea I thought I knew before arriving in Seoul. As a journalist particip
Jun 5, 2026
2026 local elections
Police secure ballot boxes from Seoul polling station after dispersing protesters
Police on Friday secured remaining ballot boxes at a polling station in southern Seoul, two days after protesters gathered to prevent election officials from removing them in protest of a shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections. Police officials broke through a crowd of protesters to remove the two ballot boxes at the polling station in Jamsil, Songpa Ward, after deploying around 1,000 officers to the scene earlier in the day to break up the rally. The boxes, said to contain around 2,000 ballots, were transported to a ballot counting center at nearby Olympic Park. Authorities said multiple people suffered minor injuries at the polling station and the vote counting center, where protesters also gathered to demand election officials to stop the count. The polling station was one of over a dozen locations in Seoul that experienced ballot shortages Wednesday, prompting the temporary suspension of voting at the affected stations. Angry protesters gathered at the Jamsil polling station, accusing the election watchdog of having committed election fraud and blocking election officia
Jun 5, 2026
2026 local elections
PPP floor leader calls for parliamentary probe into shortage of ballots in local elections
The floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday called for a parliamentary investigation into an unprecedented shortage of ballot papers in this week's local elections. Rep. Song Eon-seog made the remarks during an emergency general meeting of PPP lawmakers at the National Assembly, after the shortage at more than a dozen polling stations in Seoul on Wednesday prompted the temporary suspension of voting. Some voters left without casting their ballots after a long wait. The incident sparked public outrage, with angry protesters blocking the entrance to one of the polling stations to prevent election officials from removing the ballot boxes. "This is exactly the kind of case that requires a special counsel probe," Rep. Song said, calling for the parliamentary probe. After the controversy surfaced Wednesday night, the PPP had initially demanded the National Election Commission (NEC) immediately suspend vote counting and hold a revote. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok and party officials visited the NEC on Wednesday to file an official complaint. The ruling Democratic Pa
Jun 4, 2026
2026 local elections
Progressives sweep education superintendent races
Progressive candidates dominated the education superintendent races, which were part of Wednesday's local elections, tilting the balance of power among the country's education chiefs in their favor. In Seoul, incumbent superintendent Jung Geun-sik was reelected in a crowded race among eight candidates, along with other progressive incumbents in Incheon and Busan. Busan winner Kim Seok-jun secured a fourth consecutive term, claiming a record tenure in the country. Gyeonggi Province saw progressive candidate Ahn Min-seok swoop in to take office. Progressives now hold 10 of 16 superintendent positions for the next four years. Conservatives won races in six constituencies including conservative strongholds Daegu, North and South Gyeongsang Provinces, as well as Sejong, Daejeon and North Chungcheong. Daegu winner Kang Eun-hee has become the city’s first female superintendent, clinching her third consecutive term. Sejong winner Kang Mi-ae also became the city’s first female education chief. The overall outcome has shifted the country’s demography of education chiefs toward progressives,
Jun 4, 2026
2026 local elections
Seoul Mayor Oh defies exit poll to win reelection
In a stunning political turnaround, incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon secured his reelection in Wednesday's vote, overcoming an early exit poll projection that had forecast a loss to his liberal rival Chong Won-o. According to the National Election Commission (NEC) Thursday, as of 9 p.m., with 99.93 percent of the votes counted, Oh of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) obtained 49.19 percent of the vote, defeating Chong of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who garnered 48.09 percent. The formal announcement of the winner has not been made. This came after an exit poll for Wednesday’s local elections released jointly by major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS put Chong at 51.4 percent and Oh at 46 percent. During the initial stages of the count, Chong had maintained a comfortable lead. But by around 7:20 a.m. Thursday, some 13 hours after counting started, Oh had steadily erased the deficit to clinch a dramatic come-from-behind win. “This election is a victory for common sense,” Oh said at his campaign office. “It is a victory for young people who, even as they des
Jun 4, 2026
2026 local elections
Ballot shortages undermine public trust in elections
Public trust in election management has plummeted after ballot shortages at polling stations in southern Seoul for Wednesday's local elections forced hundreds of voters to wait for hours past the designated end of voting hours at 6 p.m. The unprecedented situation immediately prompted strong criticism against the National Election Commission (NEC), from both liberal and conservative camps alike, as well as the presidential office. The backlash was especially strong among members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which had higher chances of winning in most of those districts. President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday expressed "very deep regret" over the ballot shortages, calling for a full investigation into the sloppy election management and for those found responsible to be held accountable. "It is hard to accept that such incomprehensible flaws occurred in election management, which must be carried out under the absolutely highest standard in a democratic republic,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting. “All state institutions are obliged to thoroughly prepare for elections
Jun 4, 2026