Polling is underway in South Korea to elect a new Parliament. About 44 million people are eligible to vote for its 300-member National Assembly. The outcome of today’s polls will also set the tone for the remaining years of Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidency. The election comes nearly two years after conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol won the 2022 presidential election defeating Lee Jae-myung of
the Democratic Party by just 0.73 per cent – the slimmest margin in South Korean history.
South Korea has a powerful presidential system, checked and balanced by the assembly which can pass or stop bills. The parliament is currently dominated by the Democratic Party which holds 142 out of 297 seats.