South Korea ruling party wins local elections but may lose Seoul mayoralty amid ballot chaos

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party has swept the majority of seats in local elections, early vote counts indicate, though it faces a significant setback with the projected loss of the capital city's mayoralty.

Incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the opposition People Power Party (PPP) is narrowly leading the Democratic Party's challenger, Chong Won-o, in the race for Seoul. The loss of the capital, South Korea's largest city and a top political prize, would be a symbolic blow to President Lee Jae Myung's administration, potentially tempering claims of a decisive national mandate despite the party's broader electoral success.

National Election Commission tallies show Democratic Party candidates winning in Busan and leading in 12 of 16 mayoral and provincial contests nationwide. This overall performance suggests President Lee retains substantial nationwide support, bolstered by robust export growth driven by an AI chip boom and a concurrent stock market rally that has supported strong approval ratings.

However, the election was marred by disruptions in Seoul, where ballot shortages occurred at multiple polling stations due to higher-than-expected turnout. This led to long waits for some voters, with others leaving without casting ballots. The incident prompted protests and calls from PPP figures for a halt to vote counting and a rerun, arguing the election was "tainted." The National Election Commission apologized for the shortages and pledged a full investigation, but stated the incidents did not warrant delaying the election or holding a rerun.

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