The People Power Party (PPP) failed to find a candidate for the Sihung mayoral race, virtually securing an uncontested victory for incumbent Mayor Lim Byung-taek of the Democratic Party.
According to the National Election Commission, only Lim had registered as a candidate by the 6 p.m. registration deadline Thursday for the 9th nationwide local elections. With no competing candidates emerging, Lim is expected to win his third term as Sihung mayor barring any unusual developments.
Earlier on Tuesday, Park Duk-hyum, chairman of the PPP's nomination committee, held a briefing at the central party headquarters and announced the withdrawal of the additional candidate solicitation for the Sihung region. This marks the first time since the introduction of local elections in 1995 that a conservative party of the PPP lineage has failed to field a candidate in a basic-level local government head election in the Seoul metropolitan area.
The PPP's Gyeonggi provincial chapter conducted three rounds of additional solicitations in search of a candidate but ultimately failed to find a suitable contender.
The Sihung region is considered one of the Democratic Party's stronghold areas. In addition, finding a candidate to compete against Mayor Lim, who is seeking a third term after winning re-election in the 7th and 8th elected terms, proved difficult.
With no other party or independent candidates emerging to challenge Lim, the incumbent mayor's uncontested election has become a reality.
As a result, the Sihung mayoral election campaign, scheduled to run from the 21st to June 2, will be suspended. The winner will be finalized on election day without any voting.
