Parties mobilize early for 2026 local elections

With 260 days remaining until the June 3, 2026, local elections, the first nationwide vote under the Lee Jae-myung administration, the political arena is already heating up.

At a town hall meeting in Gangwon Province on the 12th, President Lee directly mentioned Woo Sang-ho, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs and a native of Cheorwon, who is being floated as a potential candidate for Gangwon governor.

When Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Yoon-duk discussed plans to speed up the Samcheok–Gangneung section of the East Coast rail line, he said, “The secretary told me as soon as we met that this should be the top priority, and I will make sure it happens.” Lee laughed and replied, “I should have told him to handle it. It must be because he is from Gangwon.” Woo also attended the event.

Within the Democratic Party, senior figures such as Jeon Hyun-hee, Kim Byung-joo, Han Jun-ho and Lee Eon-ju, along with some provincial and city party chairmen including Moon Jin-seok, Kang Jun-hyun, Lee Won-taek and Joo Cheol-hyeon, are being mentioned as potential candidates for the local elections.

Because senior party leaders must resign six months before the election and regional chairmen eight months ahead, candidacies are expected to take shape soon. Last month, the Democratic Party set up an election task force and began detailed discussions on nomination rules, campaign strategy and policy planning.

On the 15th, the People Power Party leadership advanced its preparations with a two-day visit to Busan, a key battleground in next year’s elections, that included an on-site supreme council meeting. At the Busan session, party leader Jang Dong-hyuk listed the relocation of the Korea Development Bank to Busan, the transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the construction of Busan New Port and Gadeokdo New Airport, declaring, “We will devote all our resources to Busan’s development.”

A political source said that after the Chuseok holiday next month, the local election season would enter full swing. As the first nationwide election under the Lee administration, it is expected to have a major impact on the political landscape, and early signs of overheating are already evident.”


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