Official Campaign Kicks Off: 13 Days of Fierce Battle Between "Government Stability" and "Judgment on the Administration"

The official election campaign for the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections and the National Assembly by-elections and re-elections, scheduled for June 3, began on May 21. The ruling party is running on a platform of "national stability and settling internal unrest," while the opposition is focusing on "judgment on the administration," setting the stage for a fierce 13-day battle.

Leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties, including Jeong Cheongrae of the Democratic Party of Korea and Jang Donghyuk of the People Power Party, officially launched their campaigns at midnight on May 21. Fifty-four candidates running for the heads of 16 metropolitan governments and 47 candidates contesting in 14 by-election and re-election constituencies also ramped up their canvassing activities across the country.

On the 21st, when the official election campaign for the June 3 local elections began, Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission officials were putting up banners on a street in Jongno-gu, Seoul. 2026.05.21 Photo by Dongju Yoon

This election will select a total of 4,227 grassroots representatives, including 16 metropolitan and provincial government heads, superintendents of education, 227 basic local government heads, and 3,968 metropolitan and basic local council members. With a competition ratio of 1.8 to 1, a total of 504 candidates will be elected unopposed, including three basic local government heads in places such as Siheung City in Gyeonggi Province and Seo-gu and Nam-gu in Gwangju.

The National Assembly by-elections and re-elections, also held on the same day, will take place in 14 districts nationwide, earning the nickname "mini general election." Forty-seven candidates are contesting these seats, resulting in a competition ratio of 3.4 to 1. Attention is focused on the races in Pyeongtaek City (B) in Gyeonggi Province and Buk-gu (A) in Busan, where major political heavyweights are running.

The Democratic Party of Korea has announced an all-out campaign to regain significant local power. It is targeting regions with opposition-affiliated local government heads, including Seoul, Incheon, Gangwon, Daejeon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Sejong, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, among the 16 metropolitan areas nationwide. The People Power Party, on the other hand, is seeking to defend its strongholds by nominating a large number of incumbent local government heads.

Although the campaign started with an advantage for the ruling party due to the high approval ratings of the president, it has turned into a tight race. Park Jumin, who leads the Democratic Party of Korea’s Ottukyu campaign team, appeared on SBS’s "Kim Taehyun’s Political Show" on this day, stating, "Seoul and Yeongnam (PK and TK) have never been easy for the Democratic Party," and emphasized, "We cannot let our guard down until the end." Jo Gwanghan, co-chair of the election committee for the People Power Party, also commented, "It’s not an easy election," but added, "I expect we can win at least half of the 16 metropolitan government head positions."

In contrast, the Democratic Party of Korea is on the defensive in the by-elections and re-elections. Thirteen out of the 14 constituencies were previously held by the Democratic Party. In regions such as Pyeongtaek City (B) in Gyeonggi Province and Buk-gu (A) in Busan, where no clear favorite has emerged and a three-way contest continues, there is growing interest in whether last-minute candidate unification between progressive and conservative camps will occur.

Meanwhile, the official campaign period runs from today until midnight on June 2, the day before the election. The voter registration list will be finalized on the 22nd, and from the 28th, the so-called "blackout period" prohibiting the publication of opinion polls will begin. However, results of opinion polls conducted up to the 27th may still be published or reported. Early voting will take place on May 29 and 30 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and voting on election day, June 3, will also run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.