Next year’s local elections set to reshape politics

Next year’s June 3 local elections will be held exactly one year after this year’s June 3 presidential vote, making it a nationwide election conducted simultaneously across the country. The upcoming elections are expected to include as many as 20 “mini general elections” to fill parliamentary seats lost due to election law violations or resignations by lawmakers seeking local office. Consequently, the vote will not only determine local representatives but also serve as a gauge of the first year of the Lee Jae-myung administration and, in the aftermath of martial law and the impeachment crisis, as a referendum on both the ruling and opposition parties.

Both parties have pledged to fight for victory under competing slogans. The Democratic Party, which controls an overwhelming majority in parliament as well as the executive branch, aims to seize the last remaining areas where the opposition holds influence, laying the groundwork for success in the next general election and a potential second presidential term. The People Power Party, meanwhile, seeks to challenge what it calls the ruling party’s attempts to provoke “insurrection” and push through unilateral legislation, aiming to overcome a crisis of conservative decline and regain political momentum. For both parties, the election outcome will shape the future of governing power and the reconstruction of the conservative bloc.

Yet the behavior of both parties raises doubts about whether the election is truly only six months away, given how sharply they are moving against public sentiment. Winning depends on capturing the support of swing voters, but both parties remain surrounded by radical hard-line supporters, alienating moderates. The Democratic Party, the ruling party, has pushed through excessive legislation under the banner of eradicating insurrection while exerting pressure on the judiciary. The opposition, the People Power Party, remains mired in the legacy of martial law and has not distanced itself from the outdated “Yoon Again” faction. Both sides appear more focused on demonizing their rivals to conceal internal conflicts than on appealing to the broader electorate.

Predictably, as the election nears, both parties will call for unity and reflection as if past missteps never occurred. Yet the public is already making a strict assessment of the ruling Democratic Party’s competence and demeanor, as well as the main opposition’s ability to rebuild and provide checks on power. Voters will not be swayed by empty rhetoric from those who cater only to hard-line supporters or by powerless groups simply waiting for their rivals to fail. Above all, the public will firmly punish political forces that promote division and conflict through excess and bias.