Overseas voting begins ahead of South Korean parliamentary election

686 candidates from 38 parties are registered for today’s South Korean parliamentary elections.

300 National Assembly seats are to be contested, with the potential for breakaway parties to disrupt the political status quo. Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) has the most registered candidates, followed by the Democratic Party (DP), the major opposition group. However, a recent alliance between four new minor parties, creating the New Reform Party (NRP) hints at a coalition capable of challenging the dominance of the two major parties in South Korea. The NRP is enjoying popularity in early polls, and is now the third-highest polling party. This indicates that voter discontent and mistrust in the national assembly may culminate in multi-party legislature, transforming the political landscape in South Korea.

Given recent scandals within South Korean politics, a shift away from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s parliament majority is likely. This may disrupt the traditional two-party structure and make policy implementation far more difficult, given varying agendas that may culminate within the National Assembly. In the medium to long term, more competition within parliamentary decision-making may uproot traditional South Korean domestic and foreign policy, and permanently alter the national agenda.