Minor parties rapidly lose ground with just over a week remaining before June 3 local elections

Ruling Democratic Party candidate Kim Sang-wook, right, and Progressive Party candidate Kim Jong-hoon speak during a press conference about their campaign merger in Ulsan on May 15. [NEWS1]

Minor political parties are rapidly losing ground as voters increasingly consolidate around the two main rivals — the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the conservative People Power Party (PPP) — with just over a week remaining before the June 3 local elections.

The left-leaning Progressive Party, which had placed its highest hopes on the Ulsan mayoral race, recently faced a major setback.

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The DP and the Progressive Party originally agreed to each conduct their own opinion polls over the weekend, then merge their campaigns behind whichever candidate posted the higher combined average.