People watch the first sunrise of the new year on a pedestrian bridge overlooking the Seoul city skyline on January 1, 2024.
Jung Yeon-je | AFP | Getty Images
South Korea voted to elect a new parliament on Wednesday in a tight campaign seen by some analysts as a referendum on President Yun Seok-yeol, whose approval ratings have been hurt by a cost-of-living crisis and a series of political scandals.
Nearly 25 million people, or 56.4% of eligible voters, had cast their ballots as of 2pm (0500 GMT), including 14 million who had cast their ballots before election day, according to the National Election Commission.
That marked the highest turnout in a parliamentary election so far, although the figure was lower than the 2022 presidential vote that narrowly brought Yoon to power.
The opposition Democratic Party (DP), which already dominates the 300-member legislature, accuses Yun and his conservative People’s Power Party (PPP) of mismanaging the economy and failing to control inflation during their time in power.
People’s Party leader Han Dongxun said that if the Democratic Party leaders face corruption charges, if the Democratic Party wins a major victory, it will bring a crisis to the country. He warned against giving the opposition an unprecedented 200-seat supermajority, which would strip Yoon of his veto power.
Polls have been mixed, with both major parties saying scores are close in dozens of precincts, but some party leaders and political analysts predict Democrats could win a majority.
Among voters casting ballots in the capital Seoul on Wednesday, 51-year-old Park Na-jung said she supported Yoon’s party to help prevent the opposition from seizing too much power, while 26-year-old Kim Ji-yeon said Yoon’s government was on the “wrong path.” superior” “.
Zheng Zhemin, 40, said he decided to support a smaller party, saying he was disappointed that major parties were focusing on political battles rather than policy competition.
“I hope that the two-party structure can be broken down in some way and politicians can implement practical policies for ordinary people.”
The liberal breakaway party led by former Justice Minister Cao Guo has emerged as a dark horse and is expected to win a dozen seats, becoming a third-party force that can influence control of parliament.
Yin retrospective exhibition
Yoon is entering the third year of his five-year presidential term and will not run in the election this time, but his ability to pass bills may be hurt by poor PPP performance.
The president, whose approval ratings have been low for months, came to power in 2022 vowing to cut taxes, ease business regulations and expand family support in the world’s fastest-aging society.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said his team needs a clear majority to deliver a message of judgment on Yoon’s failed government and cautiously believes it can significantly strengthen its dominance.
Hong Chengjie, a professor at Kookmin University, said that this election will be a review of Yoon Eun-hye’s performance, rather than a choice of future policy issues, and it will also be a measure of the degree of social and political divisions.
“A major factor here is dissatisfaction with President Yoon Seok-yeol’s perception that he is not good at making politically correct decisions,” he said.
Corruption has been a major campaign issue.
Opposition leaders Lee and Zhao are both on trial for fraud. First lady Kim Kun-hee was accused of breaking the law for accepting a Dior bag as a gift, while South Korea’s ambassador to Australia resigned amid questions about his appointment amid a corruption investigation.
Polling stations open at 6am (2100GMT Tuesday) and close at 6pm (0900GMT).
Official results are not expected until early Thursday morning, but exit polls will be released shortly after polls close, and recent polls have generally accurately predicted the outcome.
Although Yoon Eun-hye has made strengthening the security alliance with the United States and Japan a top priority, foreign policy did not play a major role during the campaign, and no matter what the outcome, not much change is expected on the diplomatic front.
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