Gyeonggi Province One Month Out: Democratic Party Landslide or Conservative Hold?

With one month left until the 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections, attention is focused on the public sentiment in Gyeonggi Province, the nation's largest electoral battleground. In the 2018 and 2022 local elections, the ruling party that won the preceding presidential election held an advantage in Gyeonggi. Analysis suggests that in this year's local elections, held just one year after the presidential race, the current ruling party, the Democratic Party, is likely to continue its favorable momentum.

A survey conducted by Korea Gallup Institute, a public opinion research firm, from April 28 to April 30, 2026, among 1,000 adults nationwide, found that 48% of respondents in the Incheon-Gyeonggi region agreed with the statement that 'more ruling party candidates should be elected' in the upcoming local elections. Those who agreed that 'more opposition party candidates should be elected' accounted for 28%.

The People Power Party is banking on the name recognition of its incumbent leaders in many districts and their performance over the past four years. Given past election results, a fierce competition is expected.

The number of seats on the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly and the results of mayoral and county executive elections are particularly noteworthy. In the 2022 local elections, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party each secured 78 seats on the Provincial Assembly, resulting in a tie. In the city and county council elections, the Democratic Party won 232 seats, while the People Power Party secured 229 seats. The key question for both provincial and local council elections is which party will secure a majority of seats. In the 2022 local elections for the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party each produced 78 members, establishing a tight balance. In the city and county council elections, the Democratic Party, then the opposition, secured 232 seats, narrowly ahead of the People Power Party's 229 seats.