Exit polls show Democratic Party leading in 11 of 16 major mayoral races in South Korea

Exit polls from South Korea's 9th simultaneous local elections indicate a strong performance by the Democratic Party, which is projected to win mayoral seats in 11 out of the 16 major metropolitan areas. The rival People Power Party is expected to secure victory in one region, Gyeongbuk, while four races are too close to call, suggesting intense competition.

The Democratic Party's projected wins span across major cities and provinces, including Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Gyeongnam, and Jeju. The party appears to hold an advantage in the crucial Seoul mayoral race, with candidate Jeong Yeon-oh leading his People Power Party opponent Oh Se-hoon by an estimated 5.4 percentage points. Similarly, Democratic candidates are projected to lead in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.

In the southern regions, the race for Busan mayor is extremely tight, with the Democratic Party's Jeon Jae-soo narrowly ahead of the People Power Party's Park Hyeong-jun. Daegu also presents a close contest, with the Democratic Party's Kim Bu-gyeom and the People Power Party's Choo Kyung-ho in a near dead heat. Other competitive races include Jeonbuk and Gangwon provinces.

The exit poll data was collected by a consortium of polling agencies, Korea Research, Ipsos, and Korea Research International, surveying voters at 615 polling stations across the country from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on election day. The results offer an early indication of the election outcomes, with official counts expected to confirm the trends.