A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2026. South Korean people began voting in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections on Wednesday. The ninth round of quadrennially-held local elections and by-elections to fill 14 vacant parliamentary seats kicked off nationwide, according to the National Election Commission. It would last for 12 hours by 6 p.m. local time (0900 GMT). (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
SEOUL, June 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korean people began voting in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections on Wednesday.
The ninth round of quadrennially-held local elections and by-elections to fill 14 vacant parliamentary seats kicked off nationwide, according to the National Election Commission. It would last for 12 hours by 6 p.m. local time (0900 GMT).
At stake are 16 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, 227 municipal mayors, 933 members in metropolitan and provincial councils, 3,035 members in municipal councils, 16 superintendents of education and 14 members of the National Assembly.
Among the total eligible voters of about 44.65 million, 23.51 precent participated in the early voting that ran from Friday to Saturday.
The elections were widely seen as a referendum for the Lee Jae Myung administration as it entered its second year. ■
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2026. South Korean people began voting in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections on Wednesday.
The ninth round of quadrennially-held local elections and by-elections to fill 14 vacant parliamentary seats kicked off nationwide, according to the National Election Commission. It would last for 12 hours by 6 p.m. local time (0900 GMT). (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
Voters fill in ballot papers at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2026. South Korean people began voting in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections on Wednesday.
The ninth round of quadrennially-held local elections and by-elections to fill 14 vacant parliamentary seats kicked off nationwide, according to the National Election Commission. It would last for 12 hours by 6 p.m. local time (0900 GMT). (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2026. South Korean people began voting in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections on Wednesday.
The ninth round of quadrennially-held local elections and by-elections to fill 14 vacant parliamentary seats kicked off nationwide, according to the National Election Commission. It would last for 12 hours by 6 p.m. local time (0900 GMT). (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
