Seoul
In a significant development, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and nearly all senior presidential secretaries tendered their resignations on Thursday following the ruling People Power Party’s substantial defeat in parliamentary elections. The resignations were confirmed by the presidential office, which also reported that President Yoon Suk-yeol has accepted them. The elections, which took place on Wednesday, saw voters electing representatives for 254 constituency seats and 46 proportional representation slots in the National Assembly.
The liberal opposition bloc emerged victorious, securing over three-fifths of the parliamentary seats. The Democratic Party, along with its satellite parties, claimed a majority of the seats, with 161 directly contested constituency seats and 14 proportional representation slots. Other minor liberal parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party, the New Future Party, and the Progressive Party, also secured seats. In total, the broader liberal bloc captured 189 parliamentary seats. President Yoon expressed his commitment to respecting the will of the people as reflected in the election results. He pledged to focus on reforming state affairs and stabilizing the economy and people’s livelihoods in the coming term.
