Unemployment rate during each mayor's tenure
6 mayors, ranked by how the unemployment rate changed from their first day in office, next to the province over the same months. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Mayor | City | In office | Total | vs province | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LKP Ahn Sang-soo | Incheon | 1 Jul 2002 – 1 Jul 2010 from 2002 | +1.0 pp 2002 → 2010 | +0.6 pp province +0.4 pp | +0.1 pp/yr | |
| 2 | PPP Suh Byung-soo | Busan | 1 Jul 2014 – 30 Jun 2018 from 2014 | +0.8 pp 2014 → 2017 | +0.6 pp province +0.2 pp | +0.3 pp/yr | |
| 3 | LKP Lee Myung-bak | Seoul | 1 Jul 2002 – 1 Jul 2006 from 2002 | +0.3 pp 2002 → 2006 | +0.1 pp province +0.2 pp | +0.1 pp/yr | |
| 4 | DPK Yoon Jang-hyun | Gwangju | 1 Jul 2014 – 30 Jun 2018 from 2014 | +0.1 pp 2014 → 2017 | −0.1 pp province +0.2 pp | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 5 | N Kim Bum-il | Daegu | 1 Jul 2006 – 1 Jul 2014 from 2006 | +0.1 pp 2006 → 2014 | +0.1 pp province 0.0 pp | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 6 | DPK Park Won-soon | Seoul | 27 Oct 2011 – 9 Jul 2020 | +0.1 pp 2011 → 2020 | −0.5 pp province +0.6 pp | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 7 | PPP Oh Se-hoon | Seoul | 1 Jul 2006 – 27 Oct 2011 from 2006 | −0.1 pp 2006 → 2011 | +0.0 pp province −0.1 pp | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 8 | DPK Song Young-gil | Incheon | 1 Jul 2010 – 1 Jul 2014 from 2010 | −0.3 pp 2010 → 2014 | −0.1 pp province −0.2 pp | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 9 | LKP Paul Yoo | Incheon | 1 Jul 2014 – 1 Jul 2018 from 2014 | −0.4 pp 2014 → 2018 | −0.7 pp province +0.3 pp | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 10 | N Cho Hae-nyung | Daegu | 1 Jul 2002 – 1 Jul 2006 from 2002 | −0.5 pp 2002 → 2006 | −0.7 pp province +0.2 pp | −0.1 pp/yr |
Showing 10 of 14 tenures.
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); the province is measured over the same months. Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of labour force · Statistics Korea Economically Active Population Survey via the OECD regional database (TL3), 15 and over, annual averages dated at mid-year · metropolitan city data · as of Jul 2025.