South Korea opposition parties projected to win majority in legislature

SEOUL: South Korea’s main opposition party and its allies were projected to win a majority in Wednesday’s ( Apr 10 ) elections for the country’s legislature, exit polls showed, in what would mark a significant blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol.

A joint poll released by KBS, MBC and SBS broadcasters estimated that the opposition Democratic Party ( DP ) and its minor allies could secure between 183 to 197 seats in the single- chamber, 300- seat parliament, and Yoon’s conservative People Power Party ( PPP ) and its affiliates would win 85 to 100 seats.

Another surveys conducted by the cable channel JTBC found that the opposition camp was likely to win 168 to 193 chairs, while the PPP coalition was likely to gain 87 to 111 seats.

Some analysts saw the deeply fought culture as a vote on Yoon, whose popularity has declined amid a turmoil of living and a wave of social scandals.

Standard results are not anticipated to be released until the early days of Thursday, but vote calculating has already begun.