South Korea Holds Nationwide Local Elections Today

 

Seoul, June 3, 2026 — South Korean voters headed to the polls today in the country's 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections, a sweeping ballot that will determine leadership across all levels of regional government and serve as a major referendum on the national political landscape.

What's at Stake

The scale of today's vote is substantial. All 17 metropolitan mayors and governors are up for election, along with all 226 municipal mayors and thousands of seats on provincial, metropolitan, and municipal councils — more than 3,750 seats in total. Every corner of the country, from Busan to Jeju, is choosing local leadership simultaneously.

The Political Landscape

The election is being contested primarily between two major forces. The Democratic Party, led by Jung Chung-rae, enters the race as the dominant force in Korean politics following Lee Jae-myung's presidential victory in 2025. The People Power Party — the conservative bloc that held the presidency under Yoon Suk-yeol before his tumultuous removal from office — is fighting to remain a credible national opposition under new leadership.

Several smaller parties are also competing for seats, including Cho Kuk's Rebuilding Korea Party, the progressive bloc, Lee Jun-seok's Reform Party, and others reflecting the fragmented nature of South Korean opposition politics.

A Post-Crisis Election

Today's vote comes in the shadow of an extraordinary period in Korean political history. The country navigated a presidential impeachment, a snap presidential election in June 2025, and deep public divisions over democratic norms and institutional trust. For many voters, today's local elections carry symbolic weight beyond their immediate scope — a chance to signal whether the new political order has earned broader public confidence at the grassroads level.

Background

Local elections in South Korea are held every four years, with the date set by law as the first Wednesday after 30 days before the expiration of sitting officials' terms. Today's election was confirmed by the National Election Commission and follows the last cycle held on June 1, 2022.