Inter-party clashes expected ahead of general election

Apr 10, 2023, 07:32 pm

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National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo gives a greeting at the policy briefing on the direction of the electoral reform at the National Assembly on April 21, 2023./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

AsiaToday reporter Chun Hyun-bin

The 22nd general election of the National Assembly is just a year away. The upcoming general election has greater political significance than any other general elections since it can affect the fate of the Republic of Korea, which is suffering from a complex crisis including security instability and the global economic crisis.

It will determine whether the ruling People Power Party (PPP) would win back more than a majority of parliamentary seats or whether the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) would get rid of its two consecutive defeats following the presidential and local elections. There is a possibility that the upcoming general election can be an extension of the 20th presidential election which separated the winner from the loser with a mere 0.73 percentage points. However, the “judicial risk” of the leader of the main opposition party is considered the biggest variable to determine the fate of the election.

The Assembly currently consists of 300 seats, with the wider liberal bloc, including several minor parties, securing at least 180 seats, allowing the DP to be able to pass most bills despite objects from the ruling party. The result of the election will have a significant impact on the political situation.

After President Yoon Suk-yeol proposed the introduction of an electoral district system, the electoral system reform emerged as the biggest political issue. There is also growing public expectation that the electoral system reform will provide an opportunity to get rid of the winner-takes-all system and transform the National Assembly that works only for the people.

Major issues at home and abroad are also expected to affect next year’s general elections, including the Korea-Japan relationship, the Korea-U.S. alliance, and more.

Yoon’s major policies are expected to be completed only when the ruling party secures a majority of the seats in the general elections. For the DP, on the other hand, the election will determine whether it would lose parliamentary power following the presidential and local elections, or pave the way for victory in the next presidential election.

The results of the general election are expected to depend on the results of the election in the Seoul metropolitan area. In the 21st general election, the DP won an overwhelming win in the Seoul capital area with 41 of the 48 seats in Seoul, 51 of the 59 seats in Gyeonggi Province, and 11 of the 13 seats in Inchon. In response, the PPP is aiming for a strong victory in the Seoul metropolitan area.

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