SEOUL: South Koreans voted Wednesday to elect the education chief of Seoul and four local government heads, with the result expected to serve as a litmus test of public sentiment since the April general elections.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the by-elections are critical as they involve five significant administrative positions: the superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and the heads of Busan’s Geumjeong District, Incheon’s Ganghwa County, and the Yeonggwang and Gokseong counties in South Jeolla Province. Voting commenced at 6 a.m. and concluded at 8 p.m. at 2,404 polling centers across the nation, as overseen by the National Election Commission (NEC).
The NEC reported that among the 8.64 million eligible voters, 775,971 participated in the two-day early voting session last week, resulting in an advance voting turnout of 8.98 percent. The election outcomes are anticipated to influence the political dynamics within South Korea, testing the leadership of the ruling People Power Pa
rty (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party. The performance of party chiefs Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jae-myung, who are seen as potential presidential contenders, is particularly under scrutiny.
Furthermore, the results are expected to impact the latter half of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s five-year term. The opposition has been ramping up its political challenges against the PPP and President Yoon, with discussions about possible impeachment proceedings gaining traction.