In the 9th nationwide local elections held on the 3rd, Kim Sang-wook of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected Ulsan mayor. Kim, who reached a dramatic single-candidate agreement with Kim Jong-hun of The Progressive Party on May 28, the day before early voting, defeated incumbent-seeking Kim Doo-kyum of the People Power Party in the general election and will lead Ulsan's city administration.
Born in 1980 in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, Kim attended Daedong Elementary School in Daegu, Daegu Buk Middle School, Youngjin High School, and graduated from the Department of Law at Korea University. After passing the bar exam in 2012, Kim founded the law firm Deojeongseong in 2018 and worked as an attorney.
In March 2024, through the citizen recommendation system, Kim was nominated by the People Power Party as the candidate for National Assembly member for Ulsan Nam-gu Gap and entered the National Assembly by winning the 22nd general election.
A first-term lawmaker, Kim came to national attention in the wake of the proclamation of martial law. Emphasizing the illegitimacy of the martial law, Kim called for lifting it and argued the legitimacy of impeaching President Yoon Suk-yeol. Kim's speech, famous for the line "I am a conservative," is being remembered by lawmakers from both parties as a notable address.
After clashing with fellow party lawmakers over the issue, Kim left the People Power Party in May last year and moved to the Democratic Party. Declaring a run for Ulsan mayor in February this year, Kim defeated former Mayor Song Cheol-ho and former Blue House secretary Lee Seon-ho in the primary to advance to the general election.
In this election, Kim presented as key pledges a full overhaul of the city bus public ownership system, the creation of an industrial AI demonstration research complex, and the establishment of a Northeast Asia energy logistics hub.