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How are the mayor of Seoul and district mayors chosen?
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Seoul
Changgyeong Palace, with downtown Seoul in the background.
In South Korea, local government officials are selected through democratic processes to ensure representative leadership. Both the mayor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the mayors of the individual districts (gu) are popularly elected to serve four-year terms.12
This system of popular election extends to the provincial level as well, where provincial governors and the mayors of province-level cities are chosen by the public. These officials work alongside legislative bodies, such as the Seoul Metropolitan Council, whose members are also primarily elected to represent their specific districts, with additional members chosen through proportional representation.12