South Korea's ruling party leading in local elections: Exit poll

ANKARA (AA) - South Korea’s ruling People Power Party is leading in 10 out 17 big city mayoral seats after voting ended in Wednesday’s local elections, according to exit polls.

A joint exit poll by three major TV broadcasters showed that the main opposition Democratic Party is expected to win four big-city posts, including in the southern Jeolla region, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The mayor’s seat in the capital Seoul, the country’s largest city, is expected to be won by the ruling party.

Polling started at 6 a.m. local time and ended at 6 p.m.

Millions of voters cast their votes to elect 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, 226 lower-level council heads, 779 members of provincial and city councils, and 2,602 members of lower-level local councils.

There were also by-elections for seven vacant seats in the National Assembly.

Two former presidential candidates – Lee Jae-myung and Ahn Cheol-soo – are also running in the by-elections.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid