Ruling party projected to win most local races in South Korea

Exit polls released Wednesday indicated the ruling Democratic Party was leading in most of the 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races. Two separate polls projected the party to win between 10 and 11 of those contests, while the main opposition party led in only one race.

The elections were held one year after the current administration began its term. A strong showing by the ruling party would give it additional momentum for its legislative agenda, according to the reporting.

Key races and candidates In the Seoul mayoral race, the Democratic Party candidate led with 53.5 percent of the vote compared with 42.9 percent for the incumbent. In Gyeonggi Province, a Democratic Party candidate held a 60.4 percent to 34.1 percent advantage.

In Busan, the Democratic Party candidate was projected to receive 53.9 percent against the opposition candidate. Fourteen parliamentary by-elections were also held, including two closely watched races where exit polls showed differing results.

Election administration and next steps Voting occurred at more than 14,000 polling stations nationwide. Some stations in Seoul experienced ballot shortages that temporarily halted voting and prompted the opposition to question the process. Final results were expected around midnight, with some close races possibly extending into Thursday due to the delays.

The National Election Commission has not yet released official tallies.