Yoon Seok-yeol - Han Dong-hun lawfare party loses general election in S. Korea

(Source-MBC live news 4.10) Democratic Party including their 13 representatives from the proportional ticket- 174 plus Cho Guk's Inovation Party with 12 proportional representatives totals 186.

PPP (conservative party) including proportional representatives- 109 representatives.

Lee Jae-myung, democratic party leader, and Cho Guk, Innovation Party leader, have been victims of sustained prosecutions from Yoon's office when he was Prosecutor General, which continued during his presidency (still 3 years left on his term of office) with Han Dong-hun as Justice Minister, and then the party leader for the conservative PPP. Lee Jae-myung had to direct party campaign efforts in between court appearances on trumped up criminal charges. The former Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae, won a seat as democratic representative. She was forced to resign after she failed to get Yoon dismissed for ethical misconduct during the Moon administration. Yoon was only suspended for two months. After his injunction was overruled by an appellate court, Yoon resigned to run for the presidency.


Notable conservatives who won seats included Ahn Chul-soo, (I regard him as an Elon Musk/ Andrew Yang type conservative) but he's always discussed as a potential presidential contender. The former PPP party leader Lee Jun-seok, was elected. He had been forced out of the PPP for receiving alleged sexual favors, after his support for Yoon resulted in Yoon's election as president. LJS ran independently and was elected. Na Kyang-won, a former floor leader in the assembly for the conservative party, won a seat. Na, a leading conservative female PPP leader is regarded as a potential presidential contender also. Yoon brushed her off after his election as president..


Lee Nak-yeon, the former democratic party prime minister under the Moon Jae-in administration, a subak (DINO), ran independently and lost.


Potentially wielding 180 votes or more on the floor of the next National Assembly, the democrats plus Cho Guk, can fast track legislation and overcome presidential vetoes filibusters. Han and Yoon and the conservative pundits are trying to spin this conservative loss positively and save Han Dong-hun's career by saying that at least the dems didn't get 200 votes. If they had they would be able to amend the constitution, override vetoes and/or initiate impeachment proceedings against Yoon unilaterally.

So Yoon is a lame duck now for the next three years. Wih any conservative defections he won't may not be able to stop any special investigation bills of the first lady, his ministers, or former ministers and prosecutors. I'm sure he will go back to only strategy he has, lawfare, trying to put opposition leaders, and other opponents of his policies in prison.

edit- MBC is now reporting 175 Democratic Party seats won, plus Cho Guk's 12 equals 187.


Note correction April 11. 200 votes needed to override presidential veto. Corrections to text noted in strikeover or italics.