4•3 보선…통영고성 한국당•창원성산 정의당 승리
The results from Wednesday's parliamentary by-elections in South Korea are out.
One National Assembly seat went to the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and the other to the minor Justice Party.
Kim Min-ji reports.
It was a draw between the conservatives and liberals at the parliamentary by-elections.
The district of Changwon Seongsan in Gyeongsangnam-do Province went to Yeo Young-guk of the minor progressive Justice Party. He garnered 45-point-75 percent of the votes in a tight race, aided by the candidacy merge with the ruling Democratic Party.
The constituency of Tongyeong-Goseong in the same province went to the main opposition Liberty Korea Party's Jeong Jeom-sig, who won by a huge margin.
Although it was only two seats, the by-elections gave a read on public sentiment in the traditional conservative province ahead of next year's general elections.
The Liberty Korea Party fared relatively well, despite being mired in controversy for inappropriate campaigning and bribery allegations surrounding one of its candidates.
Although it wasn't able to overcome the single candidacy factor in Changwon Seongsan, the party lost out by less than one percentage point in the region that has long been a liberal stronghold. And in Tongyeong-Goseong, the party won in a landslide, reaffirming the conservatives' strong grip on the district.
The results have cemented the standing of the party's leadership, and it's also a sign that the party may have brushed off its tainted image due to its ties to ousted former President Park Geun-hye.
"I believe the results are a judgement of how people feel about the government. They have given our party the task of reviving the economy."
It's a blow to the Democratic Party that couldn't add any extra parliamentary seats.
The approval rating for the Moon Jae-in administration and the party has dwindled, mostly due to the slowing economy and stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea. Another downside was the presidential office's string of controversial nominations for cabinet posts.
"We will step up cooperation with minor parties and fight against the Liberty Korea Party and crush them at next year's general elections."
As for the Justice Party -- now with an extra seat, can launch a negotiating bloc with the minor Party for Democracy and Peace, as they will have 20 lawmakers combined -- which is the minimum threshold.
If so, it would give them a greater say in legislative affairs and create a four-party system in the National Assembly.
With neither bloc securing a full win, it remains to be seen how the parties reshape themselves before the April 2020 general elections. For now, the winners will have to work extra hard to meet expectations and solidify their support base, while the losers will have to identify their shortcomings and foster support before the entire nation heads to the polls in twelve months' time.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
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