Exit poll predicts landslide victory for South Korea's opposition party

UPDATES WITH EXIT POLL; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Anadolu staff

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and its minor allies are expected to pull a landslide victory in the crucial parliamentary elections as the vote count continues, an exit poll showed.

The DP and the Democratic United Party, the DP's so-called satellite sister party, are expected to secure a combined 168-193 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, according to the poll conducted by cable broadcaster JTBC, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

The ruling People Power Party and its affiliated People Future Party are likely to win 87-111 seats.

Out of 300 seats, 254 will be selected through direct elections, while the remaining 46 proportional representation seats to be allocated to parties according to the number of votes they receive overall.

The exit poll is seen as a significant blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose popularity has suffered from a cost-of-living crisis and a string of political scandals.

Official results are expected to be released in the early hours of Thursday

The DP currently controls the legislature.

Voting began at 6:00 a.m. local time (2100GMT Tuesday) and ended at 6:00 p.m. local time (0900GMT) in 14,259 polling stations across the country, Seoul-based Yonhap news agency reported, citing the National Election Commission (NEC).

Around 27.4 million, or 61.8%, of the total 44.28 million eligible voters, cast their ballots as of 4:00 p.m., according to the NEC, including 14 million who had voted before election day.

The final turnout is likely to be slightly higher than that of four years ago, which stood at 66.2%.

If the final turnout surpasses that of the 2020 elections, it would be the highest in 32 years since 71.9% for the parliamentary elections in 1992.

More than 31% of eligible voters – 13.84 million out of over 44.28 million – voted during the two-day early voting period, which ended last Saturday.

It was the first time in the country's electoral history that early voting turnout exceeded 30%. In the 2020 election, the early voting turnout was 24.95%.

Yoon, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) chairman Lee Jae-myung, and former President Moon Jae-in had all voted last Friday.