South Korea's 2026 Local Vote: A First Test of a New Presidency

On June 3, 2026 South Koreans voted in nationwide local elections that were widely seen as a first test of President Lee Jae Myung’s administration. Voters elected mayors, governors and local council members, and fourteen parliamentary by-elections were also held. The vote was expected to measure public backing for Lee one year after his inauguration on June 4, 2025, while the country continued to deal with the political fallout from the 2024 martial law episode.

The December 3, 2024 martial law declaration by then-president Yoon Suk Yeol led to his impeachment and a snap presidential vote that brought Lee to power. In February 2026 a court convicted Yoon of leading an insurrection and sentenced him to life in prison. Opinion polls had shown the liberal Democratic Party with an advantage, although key mayoral races such as Seoul were considered crucial. Turnout and the number of wins for each party were being watched closely at 14,288 polling stations nationwide. President Lee had urged voters to take part and he cast an early ballot during the early voting period. Campaigners from major parties campaigned in key cities such as Busan and Seoul in the days before the vote.