Campaign officially begins for June 3 elections with over 7,800 candidates

Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Jung Chung-rae, left, and the party's Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o sort parcels at the Dong Seoul Mail Distribution Center in Seoul, Thursday, the first day of official campaigning for the June 3 local elections. Newsis

The campaign period for the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections officially kicked off, Thursday, launching a nearly two-week nationwide race that both the ruling and opposition parties view as crucial to the future course of the government.

Candidates across the country launched full-fledged voter outreach, with campaigning set to continue through June 2.

According to the National Election Commission, 7,813 candidates are running in the race. Voters will elect 16 metropolitan and provincial chiefs, 227 mayors and county heads, 804 metropolitan council members, 2,650 local council members, 16 education superintendents and 14 National Assembly members.

The governing liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is casting the elections as a mandate to shore up support for the Lee Jae Myung administration and secure momentum for social and economic reforms.

As his first stop on the campaign trail, DPK Chairman Jung Chung-rae, who also serves as the party's chief campaign manager, visited the Dong Seoul Mail Distribution Center at midnight to rally support for Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o.

“It’s time to put an end to Oh Se-hoon’s Seoul,” he said, citing the incumbent mayor. “We are determined to take Seoul back.”

Asked about the chances of achieving that goal, Jung acknowledged that “the gap between the candidates has indeed narrowed,” but added, “While the margin is not comfortable, I do not see any serious problem in winning.”

People Power Party Chairman Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok makes a V sign at Taepyeong Intersection in Daejeon, Thursday. Yonhap

On the other side of the front, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, a firebrand leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), kicked off the party's campaign in Daejeon, his political home base and hometown, highlighting the central region’s role as a pivotal battleground. He began the day greeting commuters with Daejeon mayoral candidate Lee Jang-woo on the streets, calling on voters to “show their warm support” for the candidate.

Jang also framed the June 3 elections as a de facto referendum on the president, saying the remaining 13 days “will decide Korea’s fate” and warning that a ruling bloc victory would let President Lee erase his legal risks and pave the way for long-term rule — remarks seen as a reference to canceling the criminal charges against him. He also cautioned of a looming “tax raid” on households amid housing market turmoil and rising living costs.

This comes as polling gaps have been narrowing in key cities and regions, despite persistent unease within the PPP over Jang’s hard-right position on issues such as former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law fiasco.

A survey released on Tuesday by Metrix, a pollster, put Chong at 40 percent and Oh at 37 percent, narrowing what had been a double-digit gap just a few weeks earlier.

The same trend has been observed in Busan, another major battleground. A poll conducted on May 17 and 18 by Realmeter, a pollster, showed Thursday that DPK mayoral candidate Chun Jae-soo stood at 46 percent, compared with 40.4 percent for his PPP rival Park Heong-joon, the incumbent mayor.

From left, independent candidate Han Dong-hoon, Democratic Party of Korea candidate Ha Jung-woo and People Power Party candidate Park Min-shik, contenders in Busan Buk-A National Assembly by-election, take part in a cold soybean noodle sharing event at the Namsanjeong Community Welfare Center in Busan, Thursday. Yonhap

In Busan’s Buk-A constituency, where a National Assembly by-election will be held, a survey, released Wednesday by another pollster Research and Research, found DPK candidate Ha Jung-woo at 32.9 percent, PPP’s Park Min-shik at 20.5 percent and independent Han Dong-hoon at 34.6 percent. In hypothetical head-to-head matchups, Han led Ha by 44.1 percent to 37.6 percent.

The polls, conducted between May 16 and 19, each have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 to 4.4 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.

Justice Party campaign staff stage a street rally in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Yonhap

Early voting on May 30 and 31 will allow citizens and foreign residents who meet certain eligibility requirements to cast their ballots in advance.

The government said on Wednesday that it raised the national terrorism alert level from “attention” to “caution” from Thursday to June 4. Authorities say the step is intended to strengthen security and ensure a safe environment for voters and campaign workers throughout the election period.