Earthquake in Korean politics

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo daily called the parliamentary election results the "biggest political crisis" President Yoon Suk Yeol has faced since taking office in 2022. The inability to control the majority in the National Assembly has pushed President Yoon into a deadlock while South Korea faces many economic and security challenges.

The opposition won big

With all the votes counted yesterday, April 11, the National Election Commission of Korea said that the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) and its affiliates lost more seats in the National Assembly , from 114 seats before the election to 108 seats. The big winner was the Democratic Party (DP) of Mr. Lee Jae-myung and its affiliates, increasing from 156 seats to 175 after the vote was counted. The Korean Reconstruction Party of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk gained 12 seats thanks to voters' dissatisfaction with the two main parties, becoming the third largest party in the National Assembly just 1 month after its establishment.

PPP leader Han Dong-hoon ( right ) apologizes and resigns after the ruling party's disappointing results

The resounding victory of the opposition was not as "sweeping" as the exit polls suggested. All opposition parties, if the coalition, still fell short of the majority needed to win 200 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly. However, the result was considered a "sweet payback" for DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung. In 2022, Mr. Lee narrowly lost to Mr. Yoon in the presidential election.

"This is not a victory for the DP, but a great victory for the people," Reuters quoted Mr. Lee as saying yesterday. He said that all lawmakers must join forces to respond to the current economic crisis, and "the DP will lead efforts to resolve the crisis" that is threatening people's lives. Mr. Lee received support for policies such as cash handouts for young people, free school uniforms and maternity care. However, Professor Byunghwan Son at George Mason University (USA) commented that the DP and Mr. Lee himself are facing long-term challenges. AFP quoted Professor Son as saying that the current support for the DP comes from dissatisfaction with President Yoon, so only time will tell whether the party can maintain the people's support in the long term.

The president is in trouble.

Before the election, President Yoon had hoped the PPP could regain its majority in parliament, allowing him to push through his agenda. The result would prolong the deadlock in areas where Yoon disagreed with the opposition on policies that require parliamentary approval, including tax incentives for businesses and whether to tax capital gains on stocks, Reuters reported, citing analysts.

Immediately after the results, President Yoon "humbly accepted" the people's opinions and pledged to reform the government. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and a series of senior South Korean officials submitted their resignations. Besides, although the opposition lost the chance to maintain the majority, President Yoon is still not out of danger. If the leader cannot find a way to work with the opposition, "the risk of impeachment of the president may occur, as some members of the ruling party may lean towards the opposition for their own political future," AFP quoted expert Chae Jin-won of Kyung Hee University in Seoul as warning.

Mason Richey, a professor at Hankuk University of International Studies in Seoul, said Yoon could focus on his strengths in achieving his foreign policy agenda. For example, in the last three years of his term, the leader could strengthen security ties with the United States and South Korea, although those plans could be threatened if the opposition tries to cut funding for those activities.

Yesterday, the Korean Reconstruction Party, which won 12 seats in the National Assembly, requested an investigation into allegations against First Lady Kim Keon Hee. According to Yonhap, Party Chairman Cho Kuk asked the prosecutor's office to open an investigation into concerns that the First Lady had engaged in actions that led to the risk of conflict of interest and violated ethical standards. Ms. Kim is currently embroiled in a scandal after it was discovered in 2022 that she had received a 3 million won (nearly 55 million VND) branded bag as a gift. The incident was reported by the media in January. In February, President Yoon spoke out about the incident, saying that the guest who gave Ms. Kim the bag had a hidden camera and that it was a pre-arranged political ploy. Ms. Kim has not appeared in public since the incident.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/con-dia-chan-o-chinh-truong-han-quoc-185240411185333927.htm