513 uncontested candidates elected ahead of June 3 local elections

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- A total of 513 candidates, including three local government heads, have been elected without a vote as they ran unopposed ahead of the June 3 local elections, the election watchdog said Saturday. For the upcoming elections, 307 electoral districts will not hold a vote due to uncontested races or insufficient candidates, according to the National Election Commission. The three local government chiefs elected without a vote are Kim I-gang, head of the southwestern city of Gwangju's Seo ward, Kim Byung-nae, chief of Gwangju's Nam ward, and Lim Byeong-taek, mayor of Siheung, just south of Seoul. All three candidates are members of the ruling Democratic Party (DP). Gwangju is widely considered as a DP stronghold. In the case of Siheung, the main opposition People Power Party failed to field a candidate amid a lack of prospective nominees. The other 510 elected candidates are local council members. Meanwhile, a total of 7,829 candidates have registered for the upcoming elections after two days of registrations through Friday, according to the election watchdog. Up for grabs in the June elections are mayor and governor seats in 16 metropolitan cities and provinces, along with superintendents of education, chiefs of smaller administrative units, and 14 vacant National Assembly seats. Election watchdog officials register candidates for the June 3 local elections at the watchdog's office in central Seoul on May 14, 2026. (Yonhap) yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr(END)