South Korean voters participated in nationwide elections on Wednesday to choose leaders for autonomous governments, regional councils, and local education offices, alongside 14 National Assembly lawmakers. These elections, the first since the 2025 presidential election, saw 44.64 million registered voters, with over 10 million having already voted early. By 3 p.m. on election day, the nationwide voter turnout reached 51.9 percent, an increase from the 2022 local elections. The results are viewed as an early referendum on President Lee's first year in office, influencing the administration's policy momentum and political legitimacy, and serving as a barometer for voter sentiment toward the liberal bloc, indicating the opposition's resilience or the ruling camp's consolidation.