Members of the main opposition Democratic Party erupt in joy as they watch the exit polls at the National Assembly in Yeouido in western Seoul, on April 10, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Apr. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — The opposition bloc’s runaway victory in Wednesday’s general elections is expected to tighten its grip over parliament for the next four years and undercut the Yoon Suk Yeol government during the remainder of its term.
The triumph also significantly cemented the status of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), as the next potential presidential frontrunner, despite the risks he faces from an array of corruption investigations that he claims are politically motivated.
With 99 percent of the ballots counted as of 5 a.m. Thursday, the DP was leading in 161 districts out of 254 constituencies. The PPP was ahead only in 90 districts, mostly in its stronghold in the country’s southeast.
Up for grabs were 300 seats in the National Assembly, with 46 of them to be allocated to the parties according to their proportion of the vote.
Final results are expected around 6 a.m.
The results, if finalized, are almost deja vu for the opposition bloc that won big against the PPP in the previous general elections in 2020. That year, the DP grabbed 180 seats and the PPP won 103 seats, including those won by their sister parties.
This year’s elections have largely been about a showdown between the PPP seeking to wrest back a parliamentary majority and the DP trying to retain it.
The election outcome is much more painful for the ruling bloc, as it was seen as a referendum on the Yoon government.
Yoon’s approval ratings have been low at around 30 percent.
By retaining their parliament majority, the broader opposition will have the legislative edge that could potentially thwart government moves, effectively rendering the Yoon administration a lame duck for the remaining three years in office.
“Calls for delivering a judgment on the Yoon Suk Yeol government completely dominated the structure of, and the people and issues in, the elections,” Park Sung-min, a political analyst said. “The president has practically been impeached politically by the public.”
Members of the ruling People Power Party watch the exit polls on TV at the National Assembly in Yeouido in western Seoul, on April 10, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The parliament majority will allow the DP to move forward with bills through the “fast-track” process. It can also field one of its own as the Assembly speaker, who has the authority to put bills straight up for a plenary vote without going through subcommittees.
The president still has his veto rights, but the election defeat means the government and the ruling party have to gird themselves up for incessant jostling with a powerful opposition, while having little room for political maneuvering.
Since Yoon came into office in May 2022, he has exercised his veto power in a number of highly disputed bills, such as a pro-labor measure, a nursing act and a revision to the grain bill, among others.
In January this year, Yoon vetoed two special investigation proposals, including one that involves stock manipulation allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition bloc.
Observers say the election results also reflect a strong public disapproval over how the ruling bloc handled domestic issues and scandals that flared up in the lead up to the elections.
Last month, the government came under fire for Yoon’s controversial appointment of a new ambassador who was under investigation over a Marine’s death. One of Yoon’s top aides came under fire for making intimidating remarks to reporters.
While Yoon remained adamant about the controversies, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon called for the president to take steps before it’s too late. This revealed the subtle discord between Han and Yoon.
DP leader Lee Jae-myung thanks supporters at a campaign office in Incheon, west of Seoul, on April 11, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The president’s strong push to increase the number of physicians in the country was initially met with public support, but the mass walkout by junior doctors in protest of the plan has taken a toll amid concerns that the standoff is causing delays in surgeries and putting patients’ lives at risk.
Yoon offered to seek compromise by signaling flexibility in the negotiations but it apparently did little to turn the tide.
For the DP, the victory is expected to firm up the standing of its leader Lee eyeing the next presidential race set for 2027.
Lee lost to Yoon by the slimmest margin of 0.73 percent in South Korean election history.
Lee has billed the general elections as a “judgment day” to punish what it calls the “incompetent” Yoon government, leveling intense criticism at Yoon for mismanaging the country and failing to make people’s livelihoods better.
“I will stop the regression of this country’s state affairs and make it move toward the future once again,” Lee said at his campaign office after clinching a win in his Gyeyang-B constituency in Incheon, west of Seoul.
(Yonhap)
