On April 10, South Koreans walked into the polling stations to begin the election of the National Assembly. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is facing a series of social problems. Among them, the unusually high cost of living has always been a major concern for the Korean people. Yoon Suk-yeol recently visited a supermarket in Seoul in the hope of speaking directly to people struggling with the "cost of living crisis." But a dramatic scene took place during this visit. The conservative president saw green onions raised by angry people in the supermarket. Protesters want to protest against the unusually high cost of living in this move. Although Yoon Suk-yeol is currently leading the race with 37% support, the "onion-lifting" storm also reflects the pressure that Yoon Suk-yeol is facing in the election.
Lift green onions
In recent weeks, green onions have become no longer just a simple meal in South Korean cooking, but a powerful symbol of anger among voters in Asia's fourth-largest economy over the unusually high cost of living. The green onion jumped onto the political stage when Yoon Suk-yeol visited a supermarket in Seoul. Mr. Yoon said he had visited many vegetable farms and thought it was "reasonable" for a supermarket to sell a bundle of green onions for 875 won (4.7 yuan). However, observers were quick to point out that the items were only temporarily discounted due to government subsidies, and supermarkets had reduced prices further. The actual retail price is three to four times higher, and in recent weeks it has been between 3,000 and 4,000 won, or about 17-22 yuan. Yoon's visit was intended to show that he understood the financial pressures faced by ordinary families and win more public support in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, but it backfired, sparking public suspicion that he was out of touch with reality.
South Korea's food basket is not only the price of green onions has risen sharply. Agricultural prices rose more than 20 percent in March from a year earlier, and apple prices rose nearly 90 percent, the largest increase since 1980. Because of this, green onions have become a widely circulated political meme. Opposition candidates have used green onions as props in their campaign speeches to attract attention, accusing Yoon of a "stupid attempt" to try to win the support of ordinary people in Seoul. South Korean social media is also full of memes of green onions. Some users banned green onions from polling stations at the National Election Commission, and took photos of green onions outside the polling stations and posted them on social media. The Election Commission explained the reason for not allowing green onions to enter: "While the maximum extent to which people can express their political views should be respected, the use of an object as a means of expression rather than its original purpose will greatly affect the election." ”
Hyun Jung, 36, said that the issue of green onions was not considered at first, "but after hearing about the ban, I bought a green onion headband and decided to wear it on election day." Yoon's People's Power Party is a minority party in South Korea's National Assembly. The People Power Party hopes to regain the majority from the 180-seat Democratic Party in this election. If he fails to win more seats and take control of the parliament, then Yoon will work hard to push his policy agenda for the remaining three years of his term. Kang Joo-hyun, a professor of political science and international relations at Sookmyung Women's University, said, "If the People's Power Party remains a minority party after the election...... Cooperation with the National Assembly will be very difficult, and Yoon Suk-yeol will quickly turn into a lame duck,...... The powers of state affairs will be significantly reduced. ”
Is Yoon Suk-yeol likely to avoid turning into a lame duck?
Despite the multiple crises, Yoon Suk-yeol's People Power Party still leads the way in a South Korean poll released by Gallup Korea on March 29, with 37 percent support, eight percentage points ahead of the main opposition Democratic Party, with 29 percent support. There is speculation that the newly formed Korea Reconstruction Party will form an alliance with the progressive Democratic Party. After the alliance, the two parties came in third, with 12 percent support. According to Bloomberg, despite the Conservative Party's first place in the polls, its lead may not be enough to wrest control of parliament from the progressive bloc in the National Assembly.
Gallup Korea's latest survey was conducted nationwide among 1,001 respondents. The agency said the poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The March 29 poll was the last major poll to be conducted before Election Day on April 10. Since South Korea fully became democratic in the late 1980s, Gallup Korea has been conducting weekly follow-up surveys. Compared to the last election four years ago, the support of conservatives has increased. At that time, the main party of the conservative bloc had 23 percent support in Gallup South Korea's polls, while the Democratic Party had 44 percent support. That election was held at a critical time in the pandemic. The government of former President Moon Jae-in, a Democratic Party at the time, was considered to have some of the most effective public health policies in the developed world. In the 2020 elections, the Democratic Party and its affiliated groups won 180 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly, according to the Election Commission of South Korea.
The election is seen as a midterm referendum on the Yoon Suk-yeol government, ahead of which the People's Power Party was already struggling with a potential crisis. Opposition parties view election day as a "judgment day", suggesting that it is not just about choosing a political candidate, but also an opportunity for the public to express their views on economic policy to the government. The green onion turmoil is only one aspect of Yoon Suk-yeol's administration, and the ongoing doctor's strike has been going on for one month. The labor action was a protest against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's plan to increase the quota of medical school places by 2,000 a year. The current annual quota for medical schools is 3,058. South Korea's doctor shortage is the worst in the developed world. Yoon Suk-yeol's popularity has risen after he announced the addition of medical school cadets. The British newspaper The Guardian speculated that the South Korean government's move was to gain the support of voters who are worried about the aging problem.
The crisis facing South Korea's ruling party has actually given a rare opportunity to smaller parties dissatisfied with the political power system. Among them is the Reconstruction of Korea Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kook. On the eve of the election, despite only being formed for 4 weeks, the Reconstruction Korea Party went hand in hand with the ruling party, and in the competition for 46 pro-rata seats, the Reconstruction Korea Party is expected to win between 10 and 15 seats. If the Reconstruction Korea Party gains about 15 seats, Cho could form a coalition to prevent the People Power Party from regaining control of parliament. "If the opposition party gets a large number of seats...... The system of the Yoon Suk-yeol regime will be shaken, and cracks will appear. Cao Guo predicted: "The People's Power Party will split. The president will become an incompetent leader, and then a useless person who has withered. ”
News sources: The Guardian, Bloomberg, Gallup Korea, some pictures from the Internet
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