In a significant political shake-up following recent parliamentary elections in South Korea, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, along with senior presidential advisers, has offered to resign. This collective resignation comes in the wake of the conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s party experiencing substantial losses, which have seen the liberal opposition secure control of the parliament. This shift is expected to have profound implications for President Yoon’s domestic policies and his leadership over the party.
The elections, which determined the makeup of South Korea’s National Assembly, resulted in the main opposition Democratic Party and its affiliated party winning a majority of the seats. This victory for the liberal opposition forces positions them dominantly in the parliament, with a total of 175 seats out of 300, leaving Yoon’s ruling People Power Party with 108 seats.
This political landscape marks a critical point for President Yoon, who now faces the challenge of navigating his presidency with the opposition holding a significant parliamentary majority. The results of the election could potentially stall Yoon’s domestic agenda and compel him to address an intensified political offensive from the opposition during the remainder of his term.
The election saw an unprecedented voter turnout, the highest for a parliamentary election since 1992, highlighting the public’s vested interest in the country’s political direction. In response to the election outcome, the leader of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, announced his resignation, taking responsibility for the party’s defeat.
President Yoon, who assumed office in 2022, is known for his background as a top prosecutor. Despite the political setback, his major foreign policy stances are expected to remain unchanged. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party leader, Lee Jae-myung, who was Yoon’s contender in the 2022 presidential election, lauded the election results as a victory for the people, urging both ruling and opposition parties to unite in addressing economic and public welfare issues.
The prime minister’s role in South Korea, while secondary to the president, is crucial, as the prime minister is next in line should the president become incapacitated. With the newly elected parliament set to commence its four-year term at the end of May, the nation anticipates how these political shifts will influence South Korea’s future direction.