South Korea Holds June 3 Local Elections for 4-Year Posts and 14 By-Elections
Updated
Updated · The Korea JoongAng Daily · Jun 2
South Korea Holds June 3 Local Elections for 4-Year Posts and 14 By-Elections
3 articles · Updated · The Korea JoongAng Daily · Jun 2
South Koreans vote Tuesday for governors, mayors, county chiefs, district heads and local council members, with winners taking four-year terms in the first nationwide election since Lee Jae Myung took office.
As many as 8 ballots may be issued depending on where voters live, covering local offices as well as education superintendent races that will shape elementary, middle and high school policy.
The vote also exposes strains in local politics: 3 local government heads and 510 council members have already been elected unopposed, and 138 of those uncontested winners have criminal records.
In 14 parliamentary by-elections held alongside the local races, the ruling Democratic Party is seeking support for its agenda while the People Power Party is urging voters to check the administration.
With no other nationwide election scheduled until April 2028, the results could shape debates on real estate, taxation and prosecutorial reform beyond local governance.
When 138 officials with criminal records win unopposed, is South Korea’s grassroots democracy facing a silent crisis?
Is today's local election the final verdict on a former president's martial law scandal and imprisonment?
Could a new law jailing judges for “legal distortion” fundamentally reshape South Korea’s justice system after this vote?
2026 South Korean Local and By-Elections: High Early Turnout, Political Polarization, and the Battle for Power
Overview
As the 2026 local and by-elections approach, South Korea faces an intensifying political battle marked by deep societal division and polarization that extends beyond politics into areas like the arts. This climate has led to a perceived erosion of communal spirit, with younger generations feeling they must handle challenges alone because their welfare needs are not being met. These underlying tensions contribute to the heightened political intensity seen on the eve of the elections, setting the stage for closely contested races and reflecting broader shifts in voter attitudes and societal unity.