▲ Chong Won-o, former head of the Seongdong district, prepares for a debate of the Democratic Party's primary candidates for Seoul mayor in the capital on April 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ Rep. Chun Jae-soo of the Democratic Party announces his bid for Busan mayor in the southeastern port city on April 2, 2026. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) DP-Seoul mayor

(2nd LD) Ruling party nominates former district chief Chong as Seoul mayor candidate

(ATTN: REWRITES headline; ADDS Busan mayor primary result in last 4 paras, additional photo)

SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Democratic Party (DP) announced Thursday it has selected Chong Won-o, a former chief of Seoul's Seongdong district, as its candidate for Seoul mayor in the upcoming June 3 local elections.

Chong secured a majority of the votes in the main primary, defeating three-term lawmakers Park Ju-min and Jeon Hyeon-hui, and was confirmed as the final candidate without a runoff, according to Rep. So Byung-hoon, head of the party's election committee.

The DP held its three-day primary from Tuesday, with results based on a split between party member votes and public opinion polls.

Chong entered politics in 2000 as an aide to a National Assembly member. He was first elected as chief of the Seongdong district in the 2014 local elections and went on to serve three consecutive terms.

Chong drew attention late last year when President Lee Jae Myung shared on social media platform X a news report citing a survey in which 93 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with Chong's performance.

The main opposition People Power Party is holding a primary race among Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, freshman lawmaker Park Soo-min and former lawmaker Yun Hee-suk.

Following a debate Friday, the party is expected to finalize its Seoul mayoral candidate next week. Oh is widely regarded as the leading conservative contender in the Seoul mayoral race.

The DP also confirmed Rep. Chun Jae-soo as its candidate for Busan mayor in the upcoming election, after he won the primary by defeating Lee Jae-sung, a former head of the party's Busan chapter.

Chun is the only incumbent DP lawmaker in the southern city of Busan, a region known for its strong conservative support.

He was first elected in the 2016 general election in Busan and has since won three consecutive terms.

Following the launch of the Lee administration, he was appointed as the inaugural oceans minister but stepped down in December amid allegations that he accepted bribes from the Unification Church.

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