Cho Sang-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected Sejong special self-governing city mayor. In the local elections held on the 3rd, Cho won 61.03% of the vote, handily beating Choi Min-ho of the People Power Party, who received 36.01%.
Born in 1970, Cho entered politics as a secretary to National Assembly member Lee Hwa-young. He later served as an aide to National Assembly member Lee Hae-chan, became chief of staff to then Sejong Mayor Lee Chun-hee in 2014, and was subsequently promoted to special political adviser.
In 2018, when Lee Hae-chan was elected leader of the Democratic Party, Cho served as chief of the policy coordination office under the party leader.
After former Sejong vice mayor for political affairs Lee Kang-jin, who had been working in step with Mayor Lee Chun-hee, ran in the general election, Mayor Lee reappointed former special adviser Cho as Sejong vice mayor for political affairs, bringing him back to Sejong.
In the 2022 local elections, Cho advanced to the Democratic Party primary for Sejong mayor and competed against Mayor Lee, whom he had assisted. Although he was eliminated in the primary, his rival Lee Chun-hee lost to then People Power Party candidate Choi Min-ho and failed to win a third term.
Ahead of this local election, Cho again competed with former Mayor Lee Chun-hee in the Democratic Party primary, and the party selected Cho as its final candidate for Sejong mayor.
At a victory press conference at Sejong City Hall that day, Cho said, "I will fully honor the citizens' solemn will to complete Sejong as the administrative capital," adding, "I will make Sejong a central city of the Republic of Korea."
As a campaign pledge, Cho said he would develop Sejong into a transportation hub by establishing KTX Sejong Jungang Station and by linking ITX and CTX. He also promised to attract a comprehensive national university and the Korea National University of Arts, create 5,000 youth jobs, and build 1,000 units of basic housing for young people.