[Green Party Korea Statement on the 2026 Local Election Results]
Green Party Korea’s First Councillor
Breaking the Bipartisan Monopoly through Politics Rooted in People’s Lives,
We Will Build a New Era for Green and Progressive Politics
Seung-gyu Heo won a seat on the Andong City Council in the 2026 South Korean local elections (June 3), making him the first Green Party Korea politician to win a public election. Seung-gyu Heo ran for the city council seat in Andong Constituency, overcoming two dominant parties and topping the poll. We extend our deepest gratitude to Seung-gyu, who realised the victory we had so sincerely hoped for; to the Andong and Gyeongbuk Green Party members who campaigned tirelessly, day and night on the ground; to all the party members for their heartfelt support; and, above all, to the people of Andong, who chose "a different politics.”
Seung-gyu's election represents a profound hope for us all. It has cracked the entrenched conservatism of the two-party political system and rekindled the flame of green and progressive politics. It is a victory for the persistent work of grassroots politics, which has blossomed despite the barriers of established politics. In particular, this result is the local community’s response to the dedication and sincerity of Seung-gyu and the Andong and Gyeongbuk Green Party members, who fought to heal residents’ wounds and to develop measures against climate disasters in the wake of the worst wildfire in South Korean history, which swept through Andong and northern Gyeongbuk in March last year.
In this election, the Democratic Party won under the dominant framing of holding accountable those responsible for the attempted martial law/insurrection. However, this outcome leaves us with deep concerns. Just as the change of government, which citizens achieved by fighting against the martial law insurrection, did not guarantee fundamental social reform, the Democratic Party's victory cannot be an answer to the climate crisis and inequality. The task before us is to fight even more fiercely against the destructive, growth-obsessed politics unfolding right in front of us: the Yongin semiconductor cluster, the ultra-high-voltage transmission lines, and the forced construction of new airports.
Let us make today's historic achievement a stepping stone, comfort one another over the results that fell short, and turn this local election into not an ending but "a new beginning." We will articulate our alternatives more clearly and realise them more responsibly. Green Party Korea will take even bolder steps towards realising an ecologically equal society grounded in social public good. We hope that many more citizens longing for change in their lives will join Green Party Korea and progressive politics on this journey.
Green Party Korea
4 June 2026
[Green Party Korea Statement on the 2026 Local Election Results]
Green Party Korea’s First Councillor
Breaking the Bipartisan Monopoly through Politics Rooted in People’s Lives,
We Will Build a New Era for Green and Progressive Politics
Seung-gyu Heo won a seat on the Andong City Council in the 2026 South Korean local elections (June 3), making him the first Green Party Korea politician to win a public election. Seung-gyu Heo ran for the city council seat in Andong Constituency, overcoming two dominant parties and topping the poll. We extend our deepest gratitude to Seung-gyu, who realised the victory we had so sincerely hoped for; to the Andong and Gyeongbuk Green Party members who campaigned tirelessly, day and night on the ground; to all the party members for their heartfelt support; and, above all, to the people of Andong, who chose "a different politics.”
Seung-gyu's election represents a profound hope for us all. It has cracked the entrenched conservatism of the two-party political system and rekindled the flame of green and progressive politics. It is a victory for the persistent work of grassroots politics, which has blossomed despite the barriers of established politics. In particular, this result is the local community’s response to the dedication and sincerity of Seung-gyu and the Andong and Gyeongbuk Green Party members, who fought to heal residents’ wounds and to develop measures against climate disasters in the wake of the worst wildfire in South Korean history, which swept through Andong and northern Gyeongbuk in March last year.
In this election, the Democratic Party won under the dominant framing of holding accountable those responsible for the attempted martial law/insurrection. However, this outcome leaves us with deep concerns. Just as the change of government, which citizens achieved by fighting against the martial law insurrection, did not guarantee fundamental social reform, the Democratic Party's victory cannot be an answer to the climate crisis and inequality. The task before us is to fight even more fiercely against the destructive, growth-obsessed politics unfolding right in front of us: the Yongin semiconductor cluster, the ultra-high-voltage transmission lines, and the forced construction of new airports.
Let us make today's historic achievement a stepping stone, comfort one another over the results that fell short, and turn this local election into not an ending but "a new beginning." We will articulate our alternatives more clearly and realise them more responsibly. Green Party Korea will take even bolder steps towards realising an ecologically equal society grounded in social public good. We hope that many more citizens longing for change in their lives will join Green Party Korea and progressive politics on this journey.
Green Party Korea
4 June 2026