South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties are making their final pitches to voters in Seoul, framing the capital’s mayoral contest as a decisive test of political strength ahead of Wednesday’s nationwide local elections. Party operatives from both coalitions have concentrated ground operations in the capital and other battleground regions during the closing weekend of campaigning.
The June 3 polls will choose 16 mayors and governors, 227 local government heads and approximately 4,000 council members across the country. The elections are widely viewed by campaign officials and political observers as a midterm-style assessment of President Lee Jae-myung’s first year in office, a period the administration has described as politically turbulent.
The Democratic Party of Korea is urging voters to reject a decade of People Power Party control over the city government. Standing chair Lee In-young said the campaign’s closing strategy centers on public safety, citing a record of what he called an administration “insensitive to safety” under incumbent Oh Se-hoon.
Lee pointed to the Itaewon crowd crush, the Seosomun accident, engineering defects involving the Greater Train eXpress (GTX) rail project, and problems surrounding a Han River bus service as examples of systemic administrative failures under Oh’s tenure.
“There were unusually many safety accidents during Oh Se-hoon’s 10 years, and criticism that his words were flashy but his actions were weak runs through the judgment against Oh,” Lee said. Jung has previously directed similar criticism at the mayor’s handling of the GTX construction defects, arguing that the official response demonstrated a lack of accountability for public safety.
Oh’s campaign responded by launching what officials described as an “88-hour unlimited responsibility campaign.” The schedule began at 8 a.m. Sunday and runs continuously until the eve of the vote, with the incumbent traveling across Seoul to demonstrate his ongoing commitment to residents.
Oh has directed his final-week messaging at Jung’s institutional ties to the presidential office, arguing that the Democratic candidate would lack the independence required to advocate for municipal interests. Oh said Jung was effectively selected by the president and warned that the city requires an autonomous advocate rather than a “quasi-appointed figurehead.”
“What Seoul needs now is not a figurehead but a guardian of citizens’ rights and interests,” Oh said.
The incumbent pledged that, if reelected, he will attend national Cabinet meetings to deliver what he termed “five orders from Seoul citizens” directly to the president. The proposed package outlines three urgent real estate policy recommendations alongside two directives concerning household livelihood and democratic governance.