South Korea local elections give Democratic Party win

South Korean voters delivered a strong endorsement of President Lee Jae Myung's administration in nationwide local elections held Wednesday, with exit polls projecting a decisive victory for the ruling Democratic Party. The elections, covering 16 mayoral and gubernatorial races along with thousands of local council seats and 14 parliamentary by-elections, were widely viewed as a referendum on Lee's first year in office.

According to a joint exit poll by major broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS, the Democratic Party was projected to win 11 of the 16 key contests, while the main opposition People Power Party was projected to take only one. Four races were considered too close to call. A separate poll by broadcaster JTBC projected the ruling party winning 10 key races. Voter turnout was reported at 60.8 percent, significantly higher than the 50.9 percent recorded in the previous local elections in 2022.

In one of the most significant results, Democratic Party candidate Chong Wono was projected to win the Seoul mayoral race, defeating conservative incumbent Mayor Oh Sehoon. This would return control of the capital to the Democratic Party after five years. In Busan, South Korea's...