SEOUL—With just ten days left until the general elections on April 10, South Korea's political landscape is heating up as rival parties escalate their campaigning efforts. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is rallying support for the current administration's reform initiatives, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) criticizes the government's performance, labeling it as "incompetent."
According to Yonhap News Agency, This election is particularly crucial for the PPP as it faces the risk of President Yoon Suk Yeol becoming a lame duck for the remainder of his single five-year term, should the party fail to secure a majority. On the other hand, the DP is focused on maintaining its majority in the parliament. Campaign activities intensified on Sunday, with PPP leader Han Dong-hoon advocating for candidate Park Sang-soo in Seo Ward, Incheon, emphasizing the significance of the Yoon administration's reform agenda and critiquing the opposition-controlled National Assembly for hindering progress over the past two years.
The campaign period has been influenced by the ongoing doctors' strike in response to the government's decision to increase medical school admissions, a move expected to significantly impact voter sentiment. Voter turnout is also anticipated to be a decisive factor in the election results.
The PPP has positioned itself as the proponent of law and order, with Han Dong-hoon making strong statements against what he perceives as corruption within the opposition ranks, specifically targeting DP leader Lee Jae-myung and Korea Innovation Party leader Cho Kuk for their alleged misconduct.
Conversely, Lee Jae-myung has been vocal in his critique of the Yoon administration, accusing it of failing the country and urging the electorate to pass judgment on its governance, particularly highlighting recent controversies such as the mishandling of the appointment and subsequent resignation of the Ambassador to Australia, Lee Jong-sup.
As the election nears, overseas voting, which started last Wednesday, will continue until Monday, with early voting set to take place this coming Friday and Saturday. According to a recent Gallup Korea poll of 1,001 respondents conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, 49 percent expressed a preference for electing more opposition candidates, while 40 percent favored more candidates from the ruling party. The survey, reflecting a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level, indicates a deeply divided electorate as the nation approaches a pivotal electoral juncture.