If you have been out and about recently, you have probably started noticing campaign posters on every corner or people greeting commuters at subway exits during rush hour. That is because Korea's nationwide local elections (지방선거) are just around the corner.
Korea holds simultaneous local elections every four years on the first Wednesday that falls 30 days before the expiration of the current terms of office. The last election took place on June 1, 2022, and the next one is scheduled for June 3, 2026.
On election day, voters choose representatives across several levels of local government. Elected positions include the Metropolitan City or Provincial Superintendent of Education, Mayor or Governor, constituency and proportional representation members of Metropolitan City or Provincial Councils, Heads of Local Government, and constituency and proportional representation members of local councils. In short, these elections shape the leadership and direction of local communities across the entire country simultaneously.
All citizens born before June 4, 2008, have both the right to vote and the right to run for election.
Most importantly, in Korea, Election Day is a public holiday. Schools and most businesses are closed, and workers at companies with five or more employees are entitled to a paid day off under the Labor Standards Act. Those who are required to work on that day are entitled to holiday pay or compensatory leave in accordance with the law.
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