Democratic Party candidate Son Hun-mo defied expectations to win the Suncheon mayoral race in South Jeolla Province, defeating independent incumbent Noh Kwan-gyu, who had sought a fourth term.
Son secured 46.85 percent of the vote, or 71,290 ballots, outpacing Noh's 40.77 percent (62,040 votes) and Progressive Party candidate Lee Seong-su's 12.38 percent (18,834 votes).
Son struggled early in the campaign, overshadowed by Noh's record as the sitting mayor, but analysts say he seized the momentum in the final stretch after an audio recording involving Noh and a local businessman spread widely, prompting Son to launch an all-out offensive.
In a victory statement, Son said the win belonged to "all the great citizens of Suncheon" who had called for an end to the divisive, conflict-ridden politics that had bruised the city and demanded a new era of communication and unity. "I will devote everything I have to Suncheon's new leap forward — from an ecological city to an economic city," he said.
His key campaign pledges include introducing a minimum income guarantee for the self-employed and small-business owners, attracting defense industry companies to the region, establishing a Suncheon Bay Tourism Corporation, and scrapping a planned waste incinerator in Yeonhyang-dong.
The Democratic Party reclaimed the Suncheon mayoral seat four years after losing it to Noh in the 2022 local elections. For Son personally, the victory ended a long string of unsuccessful bids for mayor and National Assembly seats, marking his first electoral win.
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