South Korea’s ruling party set for local election gains, exit poll shows

An exit poll in South Korea indicates that the ruling Democratic Party is poised for significant gains in local elections held on Wednesday. Voters across 16 cities and provinces were casting ballots for mayors and governors. This election serves as a referendum on President Lee Jae-myung's first year in office and a gauge of the conservative People Power Party's ability to rebound from the repercussions of former president Yoon Suk-yeol's unsuccessful martial law attempt in 2024. While the Democratic Party is expected to perform well, a tight contest in Busan makes a landslide victory uncertain. This marks the first nationwide vote since President Lee's presidential election win last year.