South Koreans voted Wednesday to elect mayors, governors, local council members and regional education chiefs in nationwide local elections that could determine whether the newly inaugurated government of President Yoon Suk-yeol can powerfully push its agenda in its first years. Up for grabs in this year‘s local elections are 17 metropolitan mayoralties and provincial governorships, 226 lower-level administrative leadership positions, as well as 872 seats in provincial and metropolitan c

Wednesday’s vote come down to local governance and education, but its outcome is likely to impact rival parties’ standing in years to come

The 2022 local elections are upon us. Here’s a quick look at the vote by key numbers. 2.2 percent This is the first local election in which 18-year-olds can cast ballots. They already hit the polls during the presidential election in March after the voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 in late 2019. The number of 18- and 19-year-old voters stands at 973,335, or 2.2 percent of the country‘s 44.3 million eligible voters. 7 sheets In the June 1 elections, most voters will

Presidential office says system to investigate corruption of public officials under review

Ruling party goes to Gyeonggi Province while main opposition party finishes in Seoul

The rival parties made last-ditch efforts Tuesday to woo undecided voters on the eve of nationwide local elections amid expectations the results will boost or weaken the mandate of the new government of President Yoon Suk-yeol. Up for grabs in Wednesday's elections are 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, 226 lower-level council heads, as well as 779 seats in provincial and metropolitan councils, and 2,602 in lower-level local councils. Also at stake will be seven National Assem

Lee Jae-myung looks to win votes by promising regulatory relief if airport is gone

President Yoon Suk-yeol will not appoint a special inspector charged with investigating corruption among the president's family members and senior aides in line with his commitment to giving all investigations to the prosecution and police, an official said Monday. The office of the special inspector was established under then President Park Geun-hye in 2014 to conduct investigations into alleged irregularities committed by the president's spouse, close relatives up to and including fi

The Cabinet on Monday approved a 62 trillion-won ($49.4 billion) extra budget aimed mainly at helping small merchants affected by the pandemic. The spending plan was passed at an extraordinary Cabinet session presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The National Assembly passed the extra budget bill Sunday, just three days before the local elections. The bill was approved in a plenary session after the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party agreed to add 2.6 tri

Kim Tae-heum, the ruling People Power Party’s candidate for the South Chungcheong gubernatorial election, pledged to end the main opposition party’s 12-year reign in South Chungcheong Province. “I will make South Chungcheong Province free of the arrogance, incapability and immorality that the Democratic Party has shown over the last 12 years,” Kim said in an email interview with The Korea Herald. Calling the Democratic Party’s 12-year reign a “failure,&ldquo

Yang Seung-jo, the Democratic Party’s candidate for the South Chungcheong gubernatorial election, said he aims to win a second term in the upcoming local election to complete what he started for the province’s more robust and balanced economic development. “South Chungcheong Province needs a governor with capability and experience for the region’s development without discontinuity,” Yang said, expressing hopes for a second term in an email interview with The Korea

The ruling and opposition parties agreed Sunday on a 62 trillion-won ($49.4 billion) extra budget aimed mainly at helping pandemic-battered small merchants and others, a ruling party official said. Kweon Sung-dong, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, said he and his Democratic Party counterpart, Park Hong-geun, reached the agreement to handle the supplementary budget bill at a parliamentary plenary session to open at 7:30 p.m. The rival parties had been at loggerheads over details of

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday congratulated director Park Chan-wook and actor Song Kang-ho on winning the best director and the best actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival, saying the prizes confirmed the competitiveness of the Korean movie industry. In a message to Park, Yoon praised the director's Cannes-winning movie "Decision To Leave," saying it "again confirmed the Korean movie's unique originality and outstanding competitiveness." In a separate message,

South Koreans headed to the polls Saturday on the second and last day of early voting for next week's nationwide local elections and parliamentary by-elections as the ruling and main opposition parties made last-minute pitches for support.  The first-day turnout reached 10.18 percent, which was higher than 8.77 percent in the 2018 local elections. Of the 44.3 million eligible voters, 4.5 million cast their ballots on Friday, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).  

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Saturday he will try to find a new nominee after a former official reportedly tipped as the head of government policy coordination showed his intent not to accept the nomination.    "This is a decision he made feeling pressure as discussions were under way. So I hope the people will respect it," Han told Yonhap News Agency by phone. "We'll swiftly begin (the process of selecting a new nominee)."    Yoon Jong-won, chief