(4th LD) DP wins resounding majority in crushing defeat for PPP

Politics 12:22 April 11, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES with the latest info and vote count throughout; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) retained a majority in the National Assembly in Wednesday's general elections in another major setback for the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The DP won 161 out of 254 directly contested seats, while the PPP won only 90 seats. Including proportional seats, the DP and its satellite party garnered 175 seats and the PPP and its satellite party clinched 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly.

The Rebuilding Korea Party led by scandal-tainted former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, considered as part of the opposition bloc, won 12 proportional seats, while the New Reform Party led by ousted former PPP leader Lee Jun-seok clinched two seats.

The results illustrated the seriously soured public sentiment toward the Yoon administration just two years after he came into office, with the PPP barely managing to prevent the broader opposition bloc from taking a two-thirds majority.

In the previous elections four year ago, the then ruling DP also clinched a landslide victory by securing a combined 180 seats with its satellite party while the United Future Party, the PPP's former name, and its sister party got 103 seats.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (C) attends a disbanding ceremony for the party's election committee in Seoul on April 11, 2024. (Yonhap)

In the proportional race for 46 seats, the PPP's sister People Future Party garnered 37 percent, followed by the DP's sister Democratic United Party with 27 percent and Cho's Rebuilding Korea Party with 24 percent.

A total of 67 percent of the total 44.28 million eligible voters cast their ballots, the highest voter turnout for general elections in 32 years, according to the National Election.

This year's vote carried extra weight for the PPP as a failure to regain a majority could potentially render the Yoon administration a lame duck for the remaining three years of his single five-year term, ending in 2027.

The PPP has pleaded for voter support, imploring that the Yoon administration has been unable to push its reform agenda properly forward for the past two years due to the uncooperative parliament under opposition control.

The DP, on the other hand, has urged voters to pass stern judgment on what it calls the "incompetent" Yoon administration, accusing it of causing the economy and the livelihoods of the people to worsen seriously and mishandling a series of controversial issues for the past two years.

Following the release of the official results, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon resigned to take responsibility for the overwhelming defeat.

"I apologize to people on behalf of our party, which fell short of receiving people's support," Han said during a press conference at the PPP's headquarters in western Seoul.

"I solemnly accept the will of the people and deeply reflect on myself. I take full responsibility for the election results and step down."

Han Dong-hoon, the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), announces his resignation during a press conference held at the PPP's headquarters in western Seoul on April 11, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Following the announcement of his victory against former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong of the PPP in Incheon's Gyeyang-B district early Thursday, DP Chairman Lee emphasized that he will stop the regression of the country's state affairs and make it move toward the future once again.

Cho, the former justice minister, also hailed the exit poll results as a victory for the people.

"The people have won," Cho said after watching the exit polls Wednesday. "The people have made their intent clear that it is a verdict handed down to the Yoon Suk Yeol government."

Cho said the results showed that the people can "no longer put up with the regression" of the government, urging Yoon to humbly accept the election outcome.

Officials of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, including its leader Cho Kuk (C, front row), react at the National Assembly in Seoul on April 10, 2024, as TV exit polls project their performance in the general elections to choose 300 lawmakers as positive. (Yonhap)

In the wider Seoul area, considered the primary battleground that ultimately shapes the election outcome, the DP swept 90 out of 122 constituencies.

The DP also grabbed 53 seats in Gyeonggi Province with 60 seats at stake. The region is traditionally considered a stronghold for the liberal party.

In contrast, some PPP candidates emerged victorious in some districts in the region after closely contested races.

In Seoul's Dongjak-B district, Na Kyung-won of the PPP secured a victory against DP candidate Ryu Sam-young.

In a surprise outcome, Lee Jun-seok, an ousted former leader of the PPP, also secured his first-ever parliamentary seat in the Hwaseong-B district in Gyeonggi Province.