South Korea to Hold Nationwide Local Elections for Mayors and Governors on June 3

South Korea will hold local elections for mayors and governors on June 3, 2026. The June 3, 2026 contest is for mayors and governors in South Korea's 16 cities and provinces. The June 3, 2026 local elections are South Korea's first nationwide vote since President Lee Jae Myung took power.

President Lee Jae Myung took power in a snap election in 2025 following the martial law crisis. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who belongs to the conservative People's Power Party (PPP), briefly imposed martial law in 2024. Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison in February 2026 for masterminding an insurrection and faces at least seven other trials.

President Lee Jae Myung held a press conference to mark the first anniversary of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid on December 3, 2025 at the Blue House in Seoul. Japan Times reported that the martial law scandal is set to loom large over the local elections that will test whether opposition conservatives can rein in the power of the ruling party of President Lee Jae Myung.

The snap election that brought Lee to power followed the political upheaval triggered by Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law.

Yoon's sentencing this year for insurrection has kept the events of 2024 in the public eye as voters prepare to cast ballots in June. Japan Times reported the contest will serve as an early measure of support for Lee's administration less than two years after he assumed office.

The 16 races for mayoral and gubernatorial posts span the country and represent the only nationwide voting opportunity before the next legislative elections.