Over 500 uncontested candidates elected ahead of South Korea local elections

A total of 513 candidates, including three local government heads, have been elected without a vote after running unopposed ahead of South Korea’s June 3 local elections, according to the country’s election watchdog on Saturday.

The National Election Commission said that 307 electoral districts will not hold voting in the upcoming elections due to uncontested races or an insufficient number of candidates, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.

Among those elected without a vote are three local government chiefs: Kim I-gang, head of Seo ward in the southwestern city of Gwangju; Kim Byung-nae, head of Nam ward in Gwangju; and Lim Byeong-taek, mayor of Siheung, located just south of Seoul.

All three officials belong to the ruling Democratic Party (DP). Gwangju is widely regarded as a stronghold of the DP. In Siheung, the main opposition People Power Party reportedly failed to field a candidate due to a shortage of prospective nominees.

The remaining 510 uncontested winners are local council members.

Meanwhile, a total of 7,829 candidates registered for the upcoming elections after two days of registration through Friday, according to the election watchdog.

The June elections will determine mayor and governor positions across 16 metropolitan cities and provinces, as well as superintendents of education, chiefs of smaller administrative units, and 14 vacant seats in the National Assembly.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev