South Korean opposition wins landslide in parliamentary elections

By Anadolu staff

South Korea's opposition bloc won a resounding victory in the country's parliamentary elections, defeating the ruling People Power Party (PPP) of President Yoon Suk Yeol, local media reported on Thursday.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) won 161 out of 254 directly contested seats, while the PPP won only 90. Including proportional seats, the DP and its sister party secured 175 seats and the PPP and its sister People Future Party won 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.

President Yoon acknowledged his party's defeat and said he accepts the will of the people.

"I will humbly accept the will of the people expressed in the general election, and will strive to reform the administration and do my best to stabilize the economy and enhance people's livelihoods," the agency quoted Yoon as saying.

PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, accepting responsibility for the outcome, stepped down, while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and other senior presidential aides also offered to resign.

According to the country's Election Commission, 67% of 44.28 million eligible voters cast their votes, the highest turnout for general elections in 32 years.

Turnout stood at 66.2% in the country's 2020 general elections and 71.9% in the 1992 polls.

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, early voting turnout was 24.95%.

In the previous parliament, the DP and its sister Democratic United Party had 180 seats, while the United Future Party, the PPP's former name, and its sister party got 103 seats.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid