South Korea's president, conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, suffered a heavy blow after the opposition Democratic Party (PD, Liberal) managed to renew (and expand) its majority in the National Assembly following legislative elections. Wednesday.
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, with 90% of the country's 254 constituencies counted, the PD leads in 160, including many in the Seoul metropolitan area, while Yoon, the People's Power Party (PPP, conservative), leads in only 91 – though it has reached 110 delegates. want
In an election seen by many analysts as a de facto “referendum” for Yun, who was elected two years ago, the only good news for him is that the entire opposition, together, cannot elect two-thirds of the 300. Representatives in the legislature were nominated by an exit poll released by major South Korean broadcasters.
In this scenario, the opposition would have enough representatives to change the constitution, override the president's vetoes, and most importantly, begin the process of impeaching the head of state.
The Reconstruction Party of Korea (PRC, Progressive), founded a month ago by former justice minister Cho Kuk, is on track to elect 15 delegates, but the opposition cannot help reach the two-thirds target (200 delegates). )
These accounts include both 254 representatives elected in their respective constituencies and 36 representatives elected through the system of proportional distribution of votes between parties.
The final results should only be known on Thursday morning (Wednesday night or early Thursday morning in mainland Portugal).
Even if it falls short of two-thirds of the National Assembly, the South Korean opposition will still have the ability to continue to block most of the laws and reforms that Yoon Suk-yeol proposed and promised when he was elected president in 2022.
Unable to run again in 2027 — the Asian nation's constitution allows a presidential term of five years — the president spends another three years unable to implement his plan and, as a result, without leaving a worthy political legacy. Note.
“The PPP has done its best to formulate policies that protect the will of the people, but the results of the forecasts are disappointing,” admitted PPP chairman Han Dong-hoon as quoted by Yonhap.
Until the end of his term, Yoon is expected to focus on international politics, such as strengthening the strategic alliance with the United States and pursuing a zero-tolerance policy toward threats from neighboring North Korea.
According to the National Election Commission, 67% of registered voters (nearly 29.7 million people) participated in Wednesday's elections, making the elections the largest legislative elections ever in South Korea.
In an economic recession and deep demographic crisis, Asia's fourth largest economy is experiencing a period of inflation and a significant increase in the cost of living of the population, which added to some scandals involving the wife of the president and some former members of the government, Yun was abandoned. Low level of popularity.
The former prosecutor, who promised to fight corruption, cut taxes and carry out structural reforms to the health system, social security and labor laws, was elected in June 2022 with just 0.73% more votes than his opponent, current PD leader Lee Jae-myung. .
Lee, who has been embroiled in bribery and corruption scandals, led the party to a new victory on Wednesday, bolstering his bid for the next presidential election.