The parliamentary elections in South Korea have ended. The result is a major blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol. The news ticker.
Update from April 10th, 6:10 a.m.:
After the opposition's victory in the parliamentary election in South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced reforms. The leader of his conservative ruling party, People's Power (PPP), Han Dong Hoon, resigned on Thursday, while Prime Minister Han Duck Soo tendered his resignation. The big winners of Wednesday's election were Lee Jae Myung's opposition Democratic Party (DP) and its partners, according to final results.
They therefore achieved 175 seats in parliament, which has a total of 300 seats - an increase of 19 seats. Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's new Rebuilding Korea party also benefited from the election, winning twelve seats. The PPP and its allies reportedly won 108 seats, a loss of six seats.
“I will humbly respect the will of the people expressed in the general election,” Yoon said, according to his chief of staff Lee Kwan Sup. Yoon announced reforms and said he wanted to do his best to improve the economy and the cost of living in the country to stabilize people.
PPP leader Han said he took “full responsibility for the election results and resigned from office.” Premier Han expressed his intention to resign, according to Yonhap News Agency, which cited a senior government official. Election winner Lee from the DP spoke of a “big victory for the people”. Politicians on both sides would have to join forces to overcome the economic crisis.
Forecasts: Clear victory for the opposition in parliamentary elections in South Korea
Update from April 10th, 9:15 p.m.:
In the parliamentary elections in South Korea, voters gave the social-liberal opposition a comfortable majority and at the same time dealt a serious blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Opposition leader Lee Jae Myung's Democratic Party (DP) was able to maintain its position as the largest single party in the 300-seat National Assembly, as South Korean broadcasters reported on Thursday night (local time). As a result of the opposition's success in Wednesday's election, the conservative head of state is now in danger of becoming largely incapable of acting domestically during his remaining three years in office.
After counting more than 90 percent of the votes in 254 electoral districts, the DP could reportedly expect to win 160 seats. Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) would therefore be represented by 91 MPs in the future.
In addition to the direct mandates, 46 seats are awarded to list candidates based on the proportional share of votes in the election, which takes place every four years.
First forecast after the election in South Korea
Update from April 10th, 2:50 p.m.:
According to the first election forecasts for the election in South Korea, the mood in Yoon's People Power Party has visibly broken. Han Dong-hoon, the party's interim leader, told reporters that the election results were "a disappointment." He added: "We will strictly follow the people's choice and keep an eye on the vote counting results until the end."
Form of government: |
Republic of South Korea |
Capital city: |
Seoul |
Current President: |
Yoon Suk-yeol |
Currency: |
won |
Update from April 10th, 1:25 p.m.:
According to broadcaster
KBS,
voter turnout in the elections in South Korea was at its highest level since 1992. A total of 67 percent of all eligible voters went to the ballot box. The Central Election Commission said that out of a total of 44 million eligible voters, around 29 million people cast their votes. In the previous elections, turnout was around 66.2 percent.
Forecast after election in South Korea
Update from April 10th, 11:16 a.m.:
The election in South Korea is over. According to initial forecasts, South Korea's opposition is ahead in the parliamentary election. According to
KBS News,
the Democratic Party of Korea would get 178-196 seats. Yoon's ruling party would get 87-105 seats. Accordingly, opposition leader Lee received 56.1 percent of the votes in his constituency. Min Hyung-bae received the most votes from the Democratic Party of Korea constituency with 72.5 percent in his own constituency. Shin Dong-wook received the most votes from Yoon's party in his own constituency with 54.8 percent.
This year's parliamentary election appears to have generally met with little interest. “People around me are definitely less interested in this election than last time,” business owner Kim Yong-ho said outside a polling station in Gwangjin. "I think it's because they're pretty disappointed." "It's all a mess," says one 87-year-old voter.
Another voter told
The Korea Herald:
“Politics in Korea is driven by hate.” Kim Do-kyung, 47, an activist for migrant women and their children, told the
AFP
news agency that she was "ashamed of our country's politics and government."
Update from April 10th, 9:51 a.m.:
While South Korea is voting, dictator Kim Jong-un is preparing for a visit from China. China's Foreign Ministry said Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress, will visit Kim in North Korea from Thursday to Saturday.
Update from April 10th, 8:20 a.m.:
According to the South Korean television station
KBS News
, the electoral commission announced that voter turnout in the 22nd parliamentary elections at 2:00 p.m. (7:00 a.m. German time) was 56.4 percent. This is 3.4 percentage points higher than the 53.0 percent turnout recorded at the same time in the last parliamentary election. Of the 44.28 million eligible voters, 24.97 million have cast their votes so far.
Election begins in South Korea
Update from April 10th, 7:30 a.m.:
The parliamentary election in South Korea began this Wednesday at 6:00 a.m. (11:00 p.m. in Germany). In Asia's fourth largest economy, a good 44.25 million people can cast their votes. The aim of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol is to be able to change the balance of power in parliament in its favor. The opposition social-liberal Democratic Party (DP) has had a majority there since its victory four years ago.
Former President Lee Myung-bak (term 2008-2013) commented on the current state of South Korean politics after the first votes. “It is a difficult time,” South Korean newspaper
The Korea Herald
quoted Lee as saying.
Before elections in South Korea: President Yoon threatens a reminder about spring onions
First report from April 9th, 10:20 p.m.:
Seoul – In the end, everything depends on a bunch of spring onions. A few weeks after the election in South Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol visited a supermarket. He wanted to get an overview of prices in the country, which is plagued by inflation. The vegetable, which is essential for Korean cuisine, was supposed to cost 875 won (about 60 cents), which Yoon considered a “reasonable price.”
But for many citizens, this sounded like mockery and proof of the head of state's lack of reality. Because you actually have to shell out three times as much for onions in this country. The supermarket had only changed the price shortly before the visit. The affair came to a head during the election campaign - and could now even cost Yoon his election victory.
Elections
in
South Korea
The landmark parliamentary election is taking place in South Korea on Wednesday (April 10). Experts expect that after a polarizing election campaign, voters will primarily vote for or against President Yoon and his conservative domestic policies. The country is already divided before the election. But the race is extremely close. According to current polls, the conservative People's Power Party (PPP) and Yoon's rival Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party (DP) are in a close neck-and-neck race.
The spring onion affair really heated up the election campaign. Mocking memes on online services didn't take long to appear. The debate caused such waves that the electoral commission was forced to ban the bringing of spring onions into election offices in order to prevent possible influence on those going to the polls.
The country is actually suffering from massive problems. As the
New York Times
reported, the economy is weakening massively while real estate and food prices are galloping to new heights. Added to this is a rising income gap and the massive missile threat from North Korea - all problems that are causing worry lines on the faces of the younger generation in particular.
South
Korea election
polls
But all of these issues were recently obscured by the spring onion affair. Instead of real, factual discussions, the election campaign was almost exclusively about stirring up resentment against the candidates - with the result that the South Korean election has degenerated into a black-or-white vote. In the latest polls, Yoon's rival Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party (DP) was slightly ahead (37 percent to 35 percent).
According to a New York Times
analysis of polls,
President Yoon is particularly unpopular among voters in their 50s and younger. But the same polls also found that respondents distrusted the opposition Democratic Party, whose leader Lee Jae-myung, who was stabbed in January, is on trial for bribery and other crimes.
Electoral system in South Korea: The president does not stand for a vote in parliamentary elections
Lee's party currently has a majority in the 300-seat parliament. During the election campaign, she promised to “punish” Yoon for his alleged mismanagement. Yoon's PPP, in turn, described Lee and Cho Kuk, the head of the new Rebuilding Korea party, as "criminals" who should be in prison. The election in South Korea can only be seen as a “referendum” on Yoon, political advisor Bae Kang Hun told the
AFP
news agency . Only Yoon's party is voting in the election, not the president himself. His term of office runs for three years until 2027.
However, Kang Joo Hyun from Sookmyung Women's University told
AFP
that the election could just as easily be a vote on the DP's opposition work. But be that as it may, an election defeat for the presidential party could make governing complicated, the expert explained. “If the PPP is still a minority party after the election, cooperation with Parliament will be very difficult. The president then quickly becomes a lame duck and the power of state affairs is severely limited.”
If, as some surveys predict, the opposition even gets more than 200 out of 300 seats, Yoon could even become a “dead duck,” emphasized advisor Bae. With such a parliament, the president could do “absolutely nothing” other than maintain the status quo in foreign relations. The majority members could then even seek impeachment proceedings.
Elections in South Korea: When will there be a forecast, projection and result?
The election promises to be quite exciting. But until an exact result is known, voters need patience. The election in South Korea starts at 6 a.m. But the counting of votes takes time. There may be forecasts and projections immediately after the polls close. But the announcement of the official election results could drag on until Thursday morning, it was said.
Population,
vacation
,
currency
:
The South Korean election is sure to attract international interest. With around 52 million inhabitants, the country is one of the 30 most populous countries in the world. This makes South Korea, whose currency is the won, an important trading partner for many countries. And it is a popular holiday destination for travelers. Despite the tensions with North Korea - the border between the two hostile countries is considered to be the most heavily fortified militarily - millions of tourists are drawn to the peninsula every year. According to the Foreign Office, a holiday is still safe despite dictator Kim Jong Un's threats of an attack. (
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