The ruling People Power Party was expected to score a major victory over the main opposition Democratic Party in the local elections Wednesday, taking mayorships in the country’s two largest cities, Seoul and Busan, according to an exit poll released by the country’s three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS. In Seoul, the People Power Party’s Mayor Oh Se-hoon showed a two-digit gap over the opposition’s Song Young-gil in the exit poll. According to exit polls released

South Jeolla Province recorded the highest turnout in Wednesday’s local elections, data showed. According to the National Election Commission’s data, voter turnout in the region came to 58.5 percent, the highest among the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, as of 8 p.m. The lowest turnout was recorded in Gwangju, at 37.7 percent.　 Overall voter turnout marked just 50.6 percent, the lowest recorded since the 2002 local election.

One saves face, other handed sweeping win

KBS, MBC and SBS have announced the results of their joint exit polls regarding the two key parliamentary by-elections. According to the exit polls, Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung has the upper hand in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, and the People Power Party’s candidate Ahn Cheol-soo has the upper hand in the Bundang-gu constituency of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In Gyeyang-gu, Lee polled at 54.1 percent, with his opponent Yoon Hyung-sun of the People Power Party trailing a

People Power Party favored to win 10 out of 17 metropolitan mayoral, provincial gubernatorial elections

The ruling People Power Party appeared set for wins across the country in races for major metropolitan and provincial government leadership, with exit polls giving the party the lead in 10 of 17 territories. According to exit polls conducted by the country’s three major broadcast companies -- SBS, KBS and MBC -- 10 districts including Seoul favored candidates from the People Power Party, while candidates from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea had the upper hand in four. The

Oh Se-hoon of the ruling People Power Party is headed for a landslide win in the Seoul mayoral election, with exit polls putting him at 58.7 percent of the votes. The exit polls, compiled jointly by terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, showed Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea with 40.2 percent of the votes. 　 For the governorship of Gyeonggi Province, exit polls forecast a close race between the ruling and the main opposition parties, with only 0.6 percentage point separati

The ruling People Power Party was projected to win 10 of the 17 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts, including Seoul mayor, in Wednesday's local elections, according to a joint exit poll by three major TV broadcasters. The main opposition Democratic Party was expected to grab four posts, including the governorships in the Jeolla provinces, according to the poll conducted by KBS, MBC and SBS. Three races, including the contest for Gyeonggi govenor, were too close to call. In a sepa

Surveys, analysts hint at win for People Power Party

Ex-presidential hopefuls eye National Assembly seats

The 2022 local elections in Korea were held Wednesday, marking the eighth edition of the event since the right to elect local government leaders and assembly members. The history of local elections in Korea began in 1952 in the midst of the Korean War, with two more such elections held in 1956 and 1960. However, local elections were put on hold for nearly three decades after an authoritarian regime took power in the 1960s. Former President Park Chung-hee put a stop to the local elections a

Residents suffer from insomnia, stress as protests continue day and night

Voter turnout for South Korea's local elections stood at 50 percent as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, as polls closed nationwide for ordinary voters, according to the country's election authorities. This is 10.2 percent points lower than the level recorded at the same time in the previous local elections in 2018. Voting by COVID-19 positive voters and those in quarantine commenced at 6:30 p.m. and will last until 7:30 p.m.  Some 20.62 percent of the registered voters cast their ballots during the two

South Koreans across the country headed to the polls Wednesday morning in nationwide local elections, results of which could determine how much momentum the newly launched Yoon Suk-yeol administration will have in pushing its agendas. The voting booths opened at 6 a.m. across the country, with 17 leadership positions at metropolitan or provincial levels, 226 heads of lower-level administrative levels at stake. The elections will also pick the seats at metropolitan, provincial and lower-level re

The winners of Wednesday’s local elections will likely emerge around midnight, some four hours after the polls close, according to the National Election Commission. The vote count begins at around 8 p.m. after ballot boxes are moved to the local election commissions’ ballot counting stations across the country. One hour later, the vote count is expected to start being revealed to the public in real time. Early signs of the outcome of the elections for the heads of the 17 metropol