Kang Seok-ju reclaims Tongyeong mayoral seat by a margin of 44 votes

Democratic Party candidate Kang Seokju defeated People Power Party candidate Cheon Yeonggi by 44 votes in the Tongyeong mayoral election in South Gyeongsang Province and was elected. The difference in vote share was 0.07 percentage points, the smallest gap between the first and secondplace candidates among all metropolitan and basic local government races in this local election. This election was a close contest in which the rankings changed several times right up until the final stage of the vote count. Mayorelect Kang lost to candidate Cheon in the 2022 local elections and gave up the mayor’s office, but after a rematch four years later, he won again and reclaimed the position. Mayorelect Kang presented economic recovery in Tongyeong and revitalizing tourism as key tasks. He promised to reorganize the Anjeong industrial complex into a smart ship cluster, introduce ecofriendly batteryfree trams, and expand support for youth housing.