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[News analysis] Korean voters rebuked the PPP, but withheld mandate for Democrats

[Editorial] Losing Seoul mayor’s race should be a wakeup call for Democrats

New Assembly speaker elected; 14 new lawmakers make Assembly debut

The National Assembly on Friday elected six-term liberal lawmaker Rep. Cho Jeong-sik as its new speaker of the country's unicameral legislature. Cho, who was selected in the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's internal contest on May 13, won 267 votes out of 276 at the plenary session held Friday. Cho will hold the post for the 22nd National Assembly until May 2028. Cho, 62, replaces five-term Rep. Woo Won-shik, whose two-year term as the speaker ended on May 29. In his acceptance speech, Cho ple

Cho Jeong-sik Elected New National Assembly Speaker

[Politics] : Ruling Democratic Party(DP) Rep. Cho Jeong-sik has been elected the new speaker for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. Cho was elected during a plenary session Friday after securing the consent of all 276 lawmakers present at the session. In line with the National Assembly Act, which regulates ... [more...]

'Anti-Ilbe Storehouse' bill drafted to enforce removal of online hate speech

A liberal lawmaker has drafted an anti-hate speech in online spaces law that would push operators of online platforms to remove posts containing derision or hate speech. The proposed legislation was prompted by public backlash over a series of perceived mockeries of citizens of the Jeolla provinces and the Korean democratic movement. Starbucks Korea came under fire for its "Tank Day" tumbler promotion on the anniversary of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising on May 18. In 1980, the military, under m

Lee Jun-seok calls for National Assembly probe into ballot shortages

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, chair of the minor conservative Reform Party, on Friday called for a parliamentary investigation into ballot shortages reported during Wednesday's local elections. Lee urged both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party to take a clear position on the issue, including the possibility of holding reelections. In a Facebook post, Lee said the ruling party should immediately accept a National Assembly probe, while the People Power Party shoul

How ballot shortages disrupt elections in other countries

Seoul’s ballot shortage was a rare Election Day failure, but not an unheard-of one. Similar incidents have disrupted voting in the US, Australia and the UK, usually after election authorities underestimated turnout or failed to supply enough ballots to specific polling stations. In the US, during Mississippi’s 2023 gubernatorial election, Hinds County, the state’s most populous county, ran out of ballots after a tight race between then-incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challen

Pres. Lee Likely to Choose Successor of Prime Minister Kim Among 3 Figures

[Politics] : President Lee Jae Myung is said to be considering three candidates as the successor to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is expected to tender his resignation soon to run for chair of the ruling camp. According to officials of the top office and the ruling Democratic Party on Thursday, Lee is likely to ... [more...]

Ruling party concedes key battlegrounds after tight race

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea largely prevailed in Wednesday's local elections, but it was not a win without costs, as the party lost some key battlegrounds. In particular, the ruling party's narrow yet crucial loss in the Seoul mayoral election prompted a blame game within the liberal camp, raising questions as to whether the results indeed represent a clear victory for the party. The Democratic Party envisioned wins in tight races involving Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o, Daegu may

Oh’s win brings relief to conservatives, but People Power Party faces deeper doubts

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s reelection gave the main opposition People Power Party its most important victory in Wednesday’s local elections, but results also revealed the limits of its support in the capital. Oh retained the Seoul mayoralty after a close race against Democratic Party of Korea candidate Chong Won-o. He framed the result as a basis for conservative recovery, saying Seoul would serve as “a platform for conservative revival,” “a source of hope for the conservative bloc” and “a basis f

It comes down to real estate: Housing concerns earn Oh fifth-term victory

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon secured a historic fifth term Wednesday in one of the closest and most-watched races of South Korea's local elections, with some analysts pointing to housing concerns and property values as decisive factors behind his narrow victory. The conservative People Power Party candidate won 49.15 percent of the vote, edging out Democratic Party of Korea challenger Chong Won-o, who garnered 48.13 percent. The result defied preelection surveys and exit polls that had largely suggest

Single vote decides local council seat in South Chungcheong Province

The single closest contest in Wednesday's local elections unfolded in South Chungcheong Province, where Democratic Party of Korea candidate Gi Ho-yeop edged out his conservative rival by just one vote in a race for a provincial council seat. According to the National Election Commission on Thursday, Gi received 11,594 votes in the Nonsan City No. 1 constituency for a seat on the South Chungcheong Provincial Council, defeating People Power Party candidate Yoon Gi-hyeong by a single vote. The two

Win or lose, local and by-elections leave their mark on ruling, opposition parties

South Korean voters handed the ruling Democratic Party of Korea a decisive victory in the local elections, but kept Seoul and much of the conservative southeast out of its reach, tempering the triumph while giving the battered People Power Party a political lifeline. The Democratic Party won 12 of the country’s 16 mayoral and gubernatorial races, while the main opposition People Power Party secured four — Seoul, Daegu and North and South Gyeongsang provinces, the latter three in its traditional

In Korea, election night coverage becomes a visual feast again

South Korea's major television networks once again set out to package Wednesday's local elections as prime-time entertainment, layering CGI animation, pop-culture parody and, for the first time on a large scale, generative AI over their live vote counts. In the election for mayors and provincial governors, along with hundreds of lower offices, President Lee Jae Myung's governing Democratic Party won most of the major races, while the conservative People Power Party held Seoul and its traditional

Korea’s Democrats win big nationwide but fail to flip Seoul mayor’s office

Prosecutor-turned-politician Han Dong-hoon revives political career with by-election win

Han Dong-hoon, who ran as an independent candidate, won the National Assembly by-election in Busan's Buk-A district on Wednesday, defeating rivals from both major parties and securing his first elected office. According to the National Election Commission, Han garnered 42.96 percent of the vote, ahead of Democratic Party of Korea candidate Ha Jung-woo with 41.26 percent and People Power Party candidate Park Min-sik with 15.76 percent. The victory marks Han's first entry into the National Assembl

Former Justice Minister Choo makes history as Korea's first female governor

Veteran liberal politician and former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, 67, shattered another political glass ceiling, becoming South Korea's first woman elected to lead a provincial or metropolitan government after winning the Gyeonggi governorship. The Democratic Party of Korea heavyweight secured victory defeating People Power Party candidate Yang Hyang-ja in a rare contest between two female candidates. Choo won 55.04 percent of the vote, comfortably defeating Yang, who secured 39.37 percent. The

Ruling DP Sweeps 12 of 16 Seats as Opposition PPP Defends Seoul, Conservative Strongholds

[Politics] : Anchor: The ruling Democratic Party has swept the June 3 local elections with a commanding majority of the country’s 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races. The party clinched 12 of those key constituencies, while the main opposition People Power Party won the highly contested race for Seoul and ... [more...]

US House passes resolution to halt military action in Iran in rebuke of Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Republican-led US House of Representatives approved a resolution on Wednesday to block President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran, reflecting growing concern among members of his party about the three-month-old conflict. The House voted 215 to 208, as four Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution, which directs Trump to withdraw US troops from Iran unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. It w

Oh Se-hoon wins 5th term as Seoul mayor

Oh Se-hoon of the conservative opposition People Power Party is set for a fifth term as Seoul mayor, edging out a liberal rival in the most closely watched contest in South Korea’s local elections. As of 9:54 a.m. Thursday, with 97.7 percent of votes counted, Oh secured 48.94 percent, ahead of Democratic Party of Korea candidate Chong Won-o, who had 48.34 percent. Oh had trailed the liberal candidate since vote counting began the previous day, but rapidly closed the gap on the back of ballots fr