Gangdong District chief Lee Soo-hee speaks during an interview with Hankook Ilbo at the Gangdong District Office in Seoul, Oct. 21, 2025. Korea Times photo by Min Kyung-seok
Eunpyeong District chief Kim Me-kyung speaks during an interview with Hankook Ilbo in this Aug. 13, 2020 photo. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok
Seoul's district chief races remain heavily male-dominated ahead of the June 3 local elections, even as female candidates gain ground in neighboring Gyeonggi Province.
Among the 25 district chief races in the capital, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) have so far confirmed only two female candidates combined, both incumbent district heads seeking reelection.
The lack of new female contenders has renewed criticism that Seoul's political scene remains difficult for women to break into.
According to party nominations finalized so far, the DPK’s Kim Me-kyung, the incumbent chief of Eunpyeong District, and the PPP’s Lee Soo-hee, the incumbent leader of Gangdong District, are the only confirmed female candidates from the two major parties.
Kim is seeking a third consecutive term and could become Seoul’s first three-term female district head if reelected. Lee is also running for reelection after winning Gangdong in the 2022 local elections.
The number could rise to three if former Chuncheon MBC announcer Lee Yoo-won wins the PPP primary in Dongjak District, but even then women would account for only a tiny fraction of candidates in Seoul’s district mayor races.
The decline is particularly notable compared with previous elections.
During the 2018 local elections, 11 women ran in Seoul district mayor races, raising expectations for broader female participation in local politics. Three women were eventually elected district mayors that year.
Source: Korea Times News
