South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Democratic Party have successfully defended their position as poll leaders ahead of today's election and exit polls released in the evening also showed that the Democrats were projected to win a majority of 155 to 178 seats (of 300) in parliament.
The party had found itself in hot water after a corruption scandal that shook South Korea in October. Justice minister Cho Kuk had been forced to resign, just weeks after taking office, amid claims that his daughter received academic favors. Rival party Liberty Korea, which recently formed an alliance with others under the name United Future Party, caught up while the Democrats struggled in late 2019, but that did not last.
Cho's resignation was especially cynical because he was tasked with justice system reform – something that President Moon promised voters after his predecessor, President Park Geun-hye, was impeached following a corruption scandal. Yet, the affair was not enough to break the Democrat's stride.
Looking at constituency votes - which is how the majority of parliamentary seats in Korean parliament get assigned -, the Democrats were able to win 44 percent of voter approval just before the election, up from 37 percent in October. United Future on the other hand was at only 23 percent, down from 27 percent six months ago, despite having brought on partners. The party is projected to have won 107-130 seats.
