Seoul: South Korea's ruling Democratic Party is poised to dominate local elections held on Wednesday, leading in all but three metropolitan races, official data shows.
The Democratic Party was leading in 13 of 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races -- including Seoul -- as of early Thursday with 52 percent of ballots counted, according to data from the National Election Commission.
The elections were widely seen as an early test of President Lee Jae Myung's first year in office. He took over after months of political upheaval triggered by his predecessor's declaration of martial law.
While Lee's party is expected to sweep most major races, the Seoul mayoral contest -- arguably the most significant -- is being fiercely contested by the opposition, which has cited disruptions caused by ballot shortages and called for the election to be annulled.
The National Election Commission was forced to issue an apology after 14 polling stations in Seoul ran short of ballot papers in an unprecedented mishap blamed on its failure to anticipate voter turnout.
Some stations remained open until 10 pm (1300 GMT) to allow voters to cast their ballots, but the measure did little to contain criticism over the commission's handling of the election.
Voter turnout stood at 61 percent, according to the NEC.
Lee was elected president in June 2025 after six months of political turmoil triggered by his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law in December 2024 before being impeached and removed from office.
While Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) remains divided over the episode, its popularity has collapsed and is on track to suffer a crushing defeat in Wednesday's local elections -- a stark reversal from the landslide victory it secured four years ago.
The Democratic Party, meanwhile, has benefited from Lee's strong public standing, with his approval ratings hovering around 60 percent, as well as buoyant financial markets.
The benchmark Kospi stock index has risen more than 210 percent over the past year.
