. The Democratic Party (DP) and its satellite party won a combined 175 seats in the 300-member unicameral National Assembly. The conservative alliance between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and its satellite party secured 108 seats. This election was widely seen as a mid-term referendum on conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol's government, which has been struggling with
since taking back power from the DP two years ago. With the opposition bloc winning a total of 192 seats, President Yoon will face significant challenges in implementing his agenda in the remaining three years of his presidency.
What were the key issues?
The overall voter turnout reached 67 percent, marking the highest for general elections in 32 years. Under the semi-mixed proportional representation system introduced in 2020, 254 members of parliament were elected by direct voting in local districts, while the remaining 46 seats were allocated based on each party's share of the vote. Key election issues included
rising inflation, the falling birth rate, and the ongoing doctors' strike. In addition, a series of domestic scandals shook public confidence in President Yoon's leadership, resulting in a significant drop in his approval ratings in recent months. Notably, allegations of corruption were leveled against First Lady Kim Keon-hee after she was secretly filmed receiving a Christian Dior bag as a gift from a pastor. The video was posted on YouTube in November 2023, leading to widespread public outrage. The appointment of the former defense minister, who is currently being investigated for corruption, as the ambassador to Australia further intensified public criticism.
Pre-election polls showed that the public wanted to hold the Yoon administration accountable through the elections.
Opposition set to retain parliament majority
President Yoon's increasing unpopularity resulted in the support of a newly formed liberal party, particularly by moderates who had previously been neutral in the
highly polarized political climate. The Rebuilding Korea Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, quickly gained significant backing by vowing to turn the government "first into a lame duck, then into a dead duck." The party won 12 seats through
proportional representation, allowing the larger opposition bloc to pass the 180-seat threshold required to fast-track legislation. Although the opposition fell short of securing the 200-seat supermajority, the ruling party will continue to struggle to pass its bills and make progress with its agenda. It remains to be seen to what extent this will relegate Yoon to an early lame-duck status and how this will affect the 2027 presidential election.
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