Kim Sang-wook of the Democratic Party has secured his victory in the Ulsan mayoral election, attributed to the effects of a last-minute alliance with the Progressive Party.
According to the vote count as of 2:55 a.m. on June 4, Kim defeated Kim Doo-gyeom of the People Power Party by a margin of approximately 4 percentage points. He becomes the first Democratic mayor of Ulsan in four years, following the term of former mayor Song Cheol-ho, who left office in 2022.
After his victory was confirmed, Kim stated in interviews on June 3, "This is a stern mandate from citizens to no longer tolerate deception. It signifies a rejection of corruption and the entrenched power cartel." He emphasized his commitment to prioritizing citizen sovereignty and interests, pledging to build a Ulsan that adheres to fundamental principles.
During the campaign, Kim faced conflicts regarding a polling process for the alliance with former Progressive Party candidate Kim Jong-hoon, particularly over provisions to prevent strategic voting. The two candidates ultimately reached a dramatic agreement on unification just before early voting. In contrast, Kim Doo-gyeom and independent candidate Park Maeng-woo failed to form an alliance, with Park receiving about 6% of the votes.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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