Official Campaigning for June 3 Local, By-Elections to Begin Thursday

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- Official campaigning for the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections will begin this week, the election watchdog said Monday.

The 13-day campaign period will begin Thursday and last until the eve of the elections, with only limited forms of electioneering permitted before the official campaign period begins, according to the National Election Commission.

During the official period, candidates and their campaign teams will be allowed to give speeches in public places between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., distribute campaign materials and put up campaign banners.

A total of 7,829 candidates have registered for the upcoming elections, including 54 candidates vying for 16 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, and 585 candidates for 227 heads of lower-level administrative units in the upcoming elections. Also up for grabs are 804 seats in provincial and metropolitan councils, and 2,650 in lower-level local councils.

This year's elections are drawing greater attention as 14 National Assembly seats are also at stake in parliamentary by-elections, including the high-profile race in Busan's Buk-A constituency, where former People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon is running as an independent.

Han will face Ha Jung-woo of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), former presidential secretary for artificial intelligence policy and future planning, and former PPP lawmaker Park Min-shik.

While Busan is a traditional conservative stronghold, the Buk-A constituency is the only district among the city's 18 constituencies won by the DP in the last general elections, making the race a key battleground for both the liberal and conservative camps.

Other notable contests include the race in Pyeongtaek-B constituency, where Cho Kuk, leader of the liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, will compete against Kim Yong-nam of the DP and Yu Eui-dong of the PPP, as well as former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn of the minor Freedom and Innovation Party, and Kim Jae-yeon of the minor progressive Jinbo Party.

Eyes are on whether Han and Cho, both widely considered to be potential presidential contenders, will win their respective races.

As the first nationwide assessment since Lee's inauguration, a sweeping victory for the ruling party may provide fresh momentum for the administration to push forward with its key policies and strengthen the DP's legislative drive. The DP, which controls a majority in the National Assembly, is seeking to clinch victories on the back of President Lee's high approval ratings.

The PPP, meanwhile, aims to rally support from conservative voters to gain momentum for rebuilding the conservative bloc amid deepening internal rifts in the aftermath of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched bid to impose martial law in December 2024.

Early voting is set for two days from May 29.