SEOUL, South Korea — President Moon Jae-in’s governing party in South Korea won a landslide in parliamentary elections Wednesday, as he leveraged his surging popularity over his country’s largely successful battle against the coronavirus to increase his political sway.
With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, Moon’s left-leaning Democratic Party had won 163 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, according to the National Election Commission on Thursday morning. A satellite party the Democrats created for Wednesday’s elections won 17 seats. Together, the 2 groups took three-fifths of all seats, giving Moon the largest majority of seats in three decades.
The main conservative opposition United Future Party and its own satellite Future Korea Party suffered a crushing defeat, winning 103 seats between them. The remaining seats were taken by independents and candidates from smaller parties.
Pandemic or not, South Koreans proved eager to vote in the election, widely seen as a midterm referendum on Moon, elected to a 5-year term in 2017. The voter turnout was 66.2 percent, the highest for a parliamentary election in 28 years.
Wednesday’s election marked the first time in 16 years that left-leaning parties have secured a parliamentary majority, as South Koreans expressed their support for Moon’s government, which has won plaudits for bringing the epidemic under control.
Their victories could embolden Moon to reinvigorate his stalled diplomacy with North Korea and press ahead with domestic priorities, like reforming state prosecutors’ offices.
In South Korea, elections typically have been decided by regional loyalties, ideological differences over North Korea or issues like the economy and corruption. But this time, “how the government has responded to the coronavirus was the most decisive factor in the president’s approval ratings and in the parliamentary election,” said Park Si-young, head of WinG Korea, a Seoul-based political survey company.
The election in South Korea “tells other world leaders that how they respond to their own crisis could make or break their political fortunes,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior adviser on Northeast Asia and nuclear policy at the International Crisis Group. “Because the pandemic is at the top of everyone’s mind.”
The New York Times (Choe Sang-Hun)
SEOUL - Temperature checks on voters, separate booths for those with fevers, special polling stations for the quarantined: South Koreans headed to the polls Wednesday with a big turnout expected despite the coronavirus threat.
South Korea is the first country with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a complex web of safety measures was spun around the ballot, as well as the campaigning that preceded it.
The parliamentary poll vote kicked off at 6 am (5 a.m. in Manila) with 43.9 million voters eligible to cast their ballots.
All citizens must wear protective masks and undergo temperature checks at the polling station. Those found to have fever will cast their ballots in separate booths to be disinfected after each use.
Voters have also been asked to wear plastic gloves after cleaning their hands with sanitizer at polling stations, and to keep at least one meter apart.
"We are now holding an election at a very difficult time amid social distancing campaigns and a contraction of economic activity," election commission chairman Kwon Soon-il said Tuesday.
"Please go to the polling stations tomorrow and show that you are the owners of this country."
South Korea was among the first countries to be hit by the virus outside China, where the coronavirus first emerged.
For a time South Korea had the world's second-largest outbreak, before it was largely brought under control through a widespread testing and a contact-tracing drive.
Those self-quarantining at home will be allowed out to vote in a 100-minute window around the polls' 6:00 pm close, as long as they do not show virus symptoms.
Special polling stations were set up at eight central quarantine facilities at the weekend to enable residents to vote.
But anyone who is staying at home and has developed symptoms is effectively disenfranchised.
Campaigning has also been affected by the outbreak: instead of the traditional handshakes and distributing of name cards, candidates have been keeping their distance from citizens, bowing and offering an occasional fist bump.
Many have turned to online media such as Youtube and Instagram to connect with voters, while some have even volunteered to disinfect parts of their constituencies.
RECORD EARLY TURNOUT
A survey conducted by Gallup Korea last week showed that 27 percent of respondents were reluctant to vote due to the epidemic.
But 72 percent said they were not worried, and a high turnout is expected after 11.7 million people, including President Moon Jae-in, voted early over the weekend.
South Korea's relatively quick and effective handling of the epidemic has been a boon for the left-leaning Moon ahead of the vote, largely seen as a referendum on his performance.
Just a few months ago he was assailed by critics over sluggish economic growth and his dovish approach to North Korea.
But fewer than 40 new coronavirus cases were recorded on each of the six days up to and including Monday, the latest available figures.
Overall, the country has had nearly 11,000 infections, and 222 deaths.
Moon's approval rating has jumped from 41 percent in late January to 57 percent last week, according to Gallup polls.
Moon's position is not at issue as he is directly elected, but while his Democratic party is the largest in parliament it does not hold a majority, relying on minority support to pass legislation.
The country uses a mix of first-past-the-post constituencies and proportional representation, and some high school students are voting for the first time after Seoul lowered the age limit from 19 to 18.
South Korea bans opinion polls in the last week before an election, but the last available gave the Democratic party 44 percent support, a huge lead over the main conservative opposition United Future Party, on 23 percent.
At first the coronavirus outbreak worked against the government, said Hahn Kyu-sup, a communications professor at Seoul National University, "but now with the virus spreading to other countries and South Korea receiving a relatively good evaluation in comparison, the epidemic has become an advantage".
Agence France-Presse
SEOUL - Liberal politician Moon Jae-in won South Korea's presidential election on Tuesday, exit polls showed, an expected victory that would end nearly a decade of conservative rule and bring a more conciliatory approach toward North Korea.
Moon, 64, is expected to beat conservative challenger, former prosecutor Hong Joon-pyo, by 41.4 percent to 23.3 percent of the votes, exit polls conducted jointly by three network television stations showed.
A decisive win by Moon would end months of political turmoil stemming from a parliamentary vote in December to impeach former President Park Geun-hye over an extensive corruption scandal.
The Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment in March, making her the first democratically elected leader to be removed from office and triggering a snap election to choose her successor.
Wearing a dark blue suit with a blue tie, Moon was seen shaking hands with supporters and officials and smiling on his way to his Democratic Party building on Tuesday evening, TV footage shows.
He told his party he would push for reform and national unity if he was confirmed as the next president.
A Gallup Korea poll last week showed Moon had 38 percent support in a field of 13 candidates.
Moon is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday after the National Election Commission releases the official result. Most candidates including Moon have said they would skip a lavish inauguration ceremony and start work straight away.
The new leader is expected to quickly name a prime minister, who will need parliamentary approval, and main cabinet positions, including national security and finance ministers, which do not need parliamentary confirmation.
Moon's victory was bolstered by strong support from younger people, the majority of whom voted for him, according to the exit polls.
Many of his supporters participated in big, peaceful weekend rallies over the last few months of 2016 and early this year, demanding Park step down.
QUESTION OVER U.S. ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM
Moon, whose campaign promises include a "National Interest First" policy, has struck a chord with people who want the country to stand up to powerful allies and neighbors.
He wrote in a book published in January South Korea should learn to say "no to America".
Moon favors dialogue with North Korea to ease rising tension over its accelerating nuclear and missile program. He also wants to reform powerful family-run conglomerates, such as Samsung and Hyundai, and boost fiscal spending to create jobs.
Moon, who narrowly lost to Park in the last presidential election, in 2012, has criticized the two former conservative governments for failing to stop North Korea's weapons development. He advocates a two-track policy of dialogue while maintaining pressure and sanctions to encourage change.
The election is being closely watched by allies and neighbors at a time of high tension over North Korea's accelerating development of weapons since it conducted its fourth nuclear test in January last year. It conducted a fifth test in September and is believed ready for another.
Moon said in a YouTube live stream on Tuesday South Korea should take on a more active diplomatic role to curb North Korea's nuclear threat and not watch idly as the United States and China talk to each other.
His election could complicate the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system, which the former Seoul government and the U.S. military agreed last year to deploy in South Korea as defence against North Korean missiles.
Moon, a human rights lawyer and former student activist, has said the next administration should have the final say on whether to deploy the system.
Many conservatives worry he will revert to a former liberal governments' policy of promoting economic ties with North Korea, which they say helped fund its weapons development, while undermining the all-important alliance with Washington.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park, Se Young Lee, Cynthia Kim and Jack Kim in SEOUL, Writing by Soyoung Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SINGAPORE - Asian stock markets edged down on Tuesday following a flat close on Wall Street, as investors searched for the next catalyst following France's presidential election, while oil inched higher on expectations OPEC supply cuts will be extended.
Financial spreadbetters expect Britain's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 to all open flat.
The South Korean stock market, which finished at a record high on Monday, is closed for Tuesday's presidential election.
Liberal Moon Jae-in is widely expected to win the presidency, following months of leadership vacuum after former President Park Geun-hye was removed on charges of bribery and abuse of power.
The polls opened at 6 a.m. (2100 GMT on Monday) and will close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT). The winner is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday after the Election Commission releases the official result.
Allies and neighbors are closely watching the election amid escalating tensions over North Korea's accelerating development of weapons since it conducted its fourth nuclear test in January last year. It conducted a fifth test in September and is believed ready for another.
North Korea would be keen to see a Moon victory. Its official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary on Monday the time had come to put confrontation behind the Koreas by ending conservative rule in the South.
"South Korean markets had not registered significant risk-off sentiment similar to other economies pre-elections, and this is no surprise," Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore, wrote in a note.
"The largely similar stance on policies by the Presidential candidates provides little chance of surprise as compared to last week's French election. Meanwhile, the filling of the political vacuum could go a long way to benefitting the economy."
The Korean won weakened 0.25 percent on Tuesday, with the dollar buying 1,135.52 won.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.2 percent on Tuesday.
Japan's Nikkei was slightly lower.
China's CSI 300 index retreated 0.3 percent in its sixth straight session of losses amid concerns over tighter financial regulations. Hong Kong's Hang Seng reversed earlier losses to trade up 0.35 percent.
Taiwan stocks pulled back to trade 0.25 percent lower on profit taking after earlier surpassing the 10,000-point mark to hit a two-year high.
The MSCI World index, which touched a record high overnight, dropped about 0.1 percent.
The dollar was flat at 113.285 yen, retaining most of Monday's 0.4 percent gain.
The dollar index was also steady at 99.11.
The euro was steady at $1.0927 after tumbling 0.7 percent on Monday.
"The euro's retreat was driven solely by profit-taking. I think it is going to regain momentum over time," said Yukio Ishizuki, senior currency analyst at Daiwa Securities.
French stocks slumped 0.9 percent overnight, their biggest one-day loss
in almost three weeks, as investors took profits following strong gains
in the run-up to Sunday's vote that saw the market favorite, centrist Emmanuel Macron, elected president.
Germany's DAX closed 0.2 percent lower, while Britain's FTSE was marginally higher.
On Wall Street, all three major indexes closed flat, holding near recent all-time highs. The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 9.77, its lowest since December 1993.
In commodities, oil market sentiment swung between optimism over statements from major oil-producing countries that supply cuts could be extended into 2018 and lingering concerns over slowing demand and a rise in U.S. crude output.
Us crude inched up 0.1 percent to $46.47 a barrel.
Global benchmark Brent also rose 0.1 percent to $49.39.
Copper remained close to the four-month low touched on Monday after data showed a sharp drop on imports into China, the world's biggest consumer.
London copper slipped 0.1 percent to $5,481.50 a tonne on Tuesday, after falling to as low as $5,462.50 on Monday.
Gold recovered from a seven-week trough touched on Monday. Spot gold rose about 0.1 percent to $1,226.60 an ounce. (Reporting by Nichola Saminather; Additional reporting by Hideyuki Sano; Editing by Eric Meijer and Sam Holmes)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
