Official campaigning for South Korea's June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections started on Thursday, May 21, with nearly 7,830 candidates competing nationwide. The two-week period runs until June 2 and is seen as an early test for the Lee Jae Myung administration.
The National Election Commission reported that 7,829 candidates had registered, with 7,820 still in the race. Voters will choose 16 metropolitan and provincial chiefs, 227 mayors and county heads, and 14 National Assembly members.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea views the vote as a chance to strengthen support for President Lee Jae Myung. Senior party member Rep. Jo Seoung-lae called the elections a “golden time to complete Korea’s normalization” and stressed the need to remove “incompetent remnants of insurrection” tied to the 2024 martial law declaration.
Recent polls show tightening races. In Seoul, Democratic candidate Chong Won-o leads incumbent Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party 40 percent to 37 percent. In Busan, Democratic candidate Chun Jae-soo holds a 44 percent to 35 percent edge.
The government raised the national terrorism alert level from “attention” to “caution” through June 4 to protect voters and campaign staff. Early voting is scheduled for May 30 and 31.
