Chong Won-o, Seoul mayoral candidate for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and his wife Moon Hye-jung hold hands as they wave to supporters at Cheonggye Plaza, Seoul, Tuesday. Chong was elected as Seoul mayor in the June 3 local elections. The DPK is set for a victory in the key mayoral races in Seoul and Busan, exit polls show, which would provide a political boost to the Lee Jae Myung administration. Yonhap

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is set for a victory in the key mayoral races of Seoul and Busan in the June 3 local elections, exit polls show, which would give a political boost to the Lee Jae Myung administration. The DPK conceded defeat in Daegu, yielding the mayoralty of the traditional conservative stronghold to the candidate of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), though the tight margin means the final outcome could still shift the final outcome.

For the Seoul mayoral race, Chong Won-o, a three-term Seongdong District head and DPK candidate, led the exit poll and is largely expected to be elected to lead the capital city with 51.4 percent of the vote, while incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was seeking reelection with PPP, is predicted to gain approximately 46 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, JTBC's forecast placed Chong further ahead at 53.5 percent to Oh's 42.9 percent.

The exit poll was conducted by the Korea Election Pool, a joint forecasting committee formed by broadcasters KBS, SBS and MBC. The consortium surveyed voters at 615 polling stations nationwide and conducted a telephone poll of some 108,000 voters. Cable network JTBC has deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered election result forecasting. The joint poll showed the margin of error of 1.7 to 4.1 percentage points with a 95 percent confidence level.

The projected victory marks another milestone for Chong, elevating his political stature from Seoul district chief to mayor. Chong won three consecutive elections in 2014, 2018 and 2022 to serve as head of Seongdong District and emerged as a leading Seoul mayoral contender after the president publicly praised his administrative performance.

During his campaign, Chong pledged to expand housing and ease construction rules so that more people can find homes in Seoul. He also promised to expand public transportation, particularly subways, to enable shorter commuting times and boost the AI ecosystem by hosting the Global AI Hub and designating AI special zones.

The Seoul mayoral race was widely seen as a barometer of public sentiment toward the current administration. The position is the only ministerial-level post among metropolitan mayors and governors and is often regarded as a springboard for presidential ambitions — former President Lee Myung-bak served as Seoul mayor before winning the presidency. The post has also historically served as a counterbalance to the sitting administration.

For the Busan mayoral race, the exit poll shows Chun Jae-soo, former oceans minister and DPK lawmaker, with a slight lead in the polls at 50.2 percent, beating Park Heong-joon, the incumbent Busan mayor and candidate of the PPP, who gained 48.3 percent.

JTBC's prediction showed Chun is winning the race gaining 53.9 percent of the vote, beating Park with 44.4 percent.

Busan, Korea's second-largest metropolitan city, has long served as a conservative stronghold, with PPP members holding most mayoral and parliamentary seats. A PPP defeat there would likely undermine the party leadership of Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok.

Source: Korea Times News