The 9th nationwide local elections and parliamentary by-elections will be held Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 14,288 polling stations across the country. The number of eligible voters stands at 44,649,908, an increase of about 340,000 from the 2022 local elections.
A total of 4,227 regional representatives will be elected, including 16 metropolitan mayors and governors, 227 heads of basic local governments, and 16 education superintendents. By-elections will also be held in 14 constituencies left vacant after sitting lawmakers ran in the local elections. The outlines of the winners are expected to emerge around midnight.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Local Finance Integrated Disclosure System, the total budget of local governments nationwide this year amounts to 341.871 trillion won. Assuming the budget size is maintained over the next four years, the "value of a single vote," calculated by dividing this figure by the total number of eligible voters, comes to nearly 30.62 million won.
Political circles expect this local election's turnout to record the mid-50% range, slightly higher than 2022 (50.9%). Early voting held on May 29-30 reached 23.51%, the highest turnout ever recorded for a local election.
A day before the main vote, leaders of both ruling and opposition parties moved to rally their bases and encourage voting. Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appealed, "Please vote for the No. 1 candidates, the party to which the president belongs, and send strong encouragement to a government that does its job well." Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, said, "Look at how many candidates with criminal records the Democratic Party has fielded," adding, "We must deliver judgment this time."
