According to Yonhap News Agency, on April 11, local time, South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-so, the head of the Secretary of the Presidential Office, the director of the Policy Office and the chief secretary all resigned.
Earlier in the day, the votes for the 22nd National Assembly of South Korea were counted, and the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat, with the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea and its satellite parties, winning a total of 175 seats, maintaining its position as the largest party in the National Assembly.
Out of the country's 254 constituencies, the Democratic Party of Korea, the largest opposition party, won in 161 constituencies. Of the 300 seats in the National Assembly, the opposition Democratic Party and the Democratic United Party hold a total of 175 seats, the ruling National Power Party and the National Future Party hold 108 seats, the Fatherland Reform Party holds 12 seats, the Reform and Reform Party holds three seats, and the New Future Party and the Progressive Party each hold one seat.
Some analysts have pointed out that since the implementation of the direct presidential election system in South Korea in 1987, it is the first time that the presidential term has been in a situation of "small and large" for five years. However, Yoon Suk-yeol's ruling party still held the "defensive line of constitutional amendment," that is, 100 seats, dispelling the worries of "the opposition camp pushing forward with constitutional amendment and the presidential impeachment."
Lee Jae-myung (center), leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, the largest opposition party in South Korea, and other party candidates excitedly shook hands to celebrate while watching the results of a poll at the exit of the poll at the exit of the poll broadcast on television on the evening of the 10th. Source: AFP
According to reports, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a press conference held in Seoul on the same day: "I will humbly respect the will of the people expressed in the election, reform national affairs, and do my best to stabilize the economy and people's livelihood." ”
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who won a big victory in the parliamentary election, said, "When the voters chose me, it represented your judgment of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and you gave the DPK the responsibility to take responsibility for the lives of the people and create a better society." ”
Yonhap News Agency reported that the reason why the opposition camp was able to win a landslide victory was that the "trial theory" of the Yoon Suk-yeol government may have played a key role. During the remaining three years of Yoon's term, Yoon Suk-yeol's governance momentum will inevitably be frustrated, and the tone of his governance will also face calls for reform.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (data map) Source: Associated Press
The issue of people's livelihood has frustrated the ruling party's popularity
Reuters pointed out that the Yoon Suk-yeol government has made strengthening security cooperation with the United States and Japan a priority, but South Koreans are more concerned about people's livelihood issues. South Korea's recent high inflation has put people under great pressure, and Yoon Suk-yeol's move in March to point to the special green onion and say that the price is "reasonable" has further aroused public resentment. A 40-year-old pastor said that people's lives are becoming more and more difficult due to rising food prices, "I support (Democratic Party leader) Lee Jae-myung."
Kim Hyun-joong, a professor at South Korea's Pei Chai University, said Mr. Yoon had lost the support of many moderate, middle-class voters, mainly because of a lack of communication with the public. Kim Hyun-joong believes that although Yoon Suk-yeol has introduced some popular policies, such as expanding medical school admissions, his arbitrary attitude has made it difficult for policies to "soft landing". In February, the Yoon Suk-yeol government announced a major expansion of medical school enrollment, but it sparked opposition from the medical community and set off a wave of large-scale strikes. The two sides have been at a stalemate for two months, and the daily diagnosis and treatment of many hospitals, especially emergency medical care, have fallen into chaos, and the people are dissatisfied with this.
According to exit polls, Yoon Suk-yeol and the People's Power Party have been hit hard in this election, and various policies may be in vain. Rich, a professor at South Korea's University of Foreign Chinese, analyzed that Yoon Suk-yeol may focus more on diplomacy in the rest of his presidential term.
The voting site of the 22nd National Assembly election of South Korea Source: CCTV News
The New York Times said the election was a "life-or-death" contest between Yoon Suk-yeol and Lee Jae-myung, with neither of them enjoying broad public support and relying instead on the resentment of their hard-line supporters. These voters either want to see the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol impeached for abuse of power, or the progressive Lee Jae-myung jailed for corruption. Cho Yong-ho, a professor of political science at Sogang University, was quoted as pointing out that revenge and resentment have always dominated South Korean politics, and the president usually conducts a criminal investigation into his predecessor or rival, and then is "liquidated" by the latecomer, falling into a vicious circle.
This election will also affect the fate of potential candidates for the 2027 presidential election. South Korean public opinion believes that for Lee Jae-myung and Han Dongxun, the leader of the People's Power Party, this election is equivalent to a "pre-election" for the 2027 general election, and if their party wins, it can consolidate its position as the favorite for the presidency, otherwise it will inevitably be hit.
Source丨Comprehensive
Editor丨Lai Chenlu, editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News