South Korea's ruling Democratic Party (DP) made strong gains in Wednesday's regional elections, winning the largest share of votes in 12 of the country's 16 regions, according to results released by the national election commission.
The conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) prevailed in the remaining four regions, including the capital Seoul, where Mayor Oh Se Hoon, who is widely seen as a potential presidential contender, secured another term.
The results marked a significant shift from the previous regional elections in 2022 when the PPP won 12 regions.
The vote was widely seen as a test of support for President Lee Jae Myung of the left-leaning DP, who has been in office for about a year. Lee continues to enjoy relatively strong public backing, while conservatives have struggled to recover from the political crisis triggered in 2024 by former president Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon, a member of the PPP, plunged the country into turmoil when he unexpectedly declared martial law. He has since been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Voter turnout reached 61%, relatively high for regional elections. The vote was marred by logistical problems after more than a dozen polling stations reported shortages of ballot papers that lasted several hours.
PPP politicians called for the count to be suspended and for the election to be rerun. Protests were also held outside the national election commission's headquarters and at several polling stations in Seoul.
