South Korea Set To Vote In Crucial Parliamentary Election

Seoul, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) South Korea will vote Wednesday in key legislative elections that will determine control of the country's parliament -- and whether President Yoon Suk Yeol can advance his socially conservative agenda.

The April 10 election, in which voters will choose members of the 300-seat National Assembly, is widely seen as a referendum on Yoon, who won a 2022 election by the narrowest margin in South Korean history.

His People Power Party (PPP) is hoping to win back control of parliament -- held by the opposition since 2016 -- which would be a boost for his agenda, including planned healthcare reforms, a hawkish North Korea policy, and a pledge to abolish the ministry of gender equality.

But if the opposition win big -- as some polls suggest they could -- experts say the president, who has long struggled with low popularity ratings, could effectively become a lame duck for the remainder of a term that ends in 2027.

"If the People Power Party is still a minority party after the general election... cooperation with the National Assembly will be very difficult," said Kang Joo-hyun, a professor of political science and international relations at Sookmyung Women's University.