SEOUL, June 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's ruling party won a landslide victory in local elections, confirming a strong public support for President Moon Jae-in's drive for peace on the Korean Peninsula, the country's election watchdog said Thursday.

Moon's ruling Democratic Party snapped 14 posts out of 17 major mayoralties and provincial governorships in the seventh round of quadrennially-held local elections, according to the National Election Commission.

The main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party gained only two posts from the Daegu city mayor and North Gyeongsang province governor, the traditional home turf for the conservative bloc.

Won Hee-ryong, an independent politician who defected from the minor conservative Bareun Future Party ahead of the local elections because of low support for the conservative bloc, was re-elected as governor of the southern resort island of Jeju.

The local elections were conducted at over 14,000 polling stations nationwide to elect a total of 4,106 administrative, legislative and educational posts.

In the by-elections to fill 12 vacant parliamentary seats, the Democratic Party secured 11 seats, while an independent candidate won by a narrow margin at the Gimcheon city inside the North Gyeongsang province.

In other local elections to pick administrative, legislative and educational heads, the Democratic Party defeated the conservative bloc by a wide margin. Enditem

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