South Korea's prime minister and top presidential officials resign en masse
South Korea’s prime minister and senior presidential officials have offered to resign en masse following Wednesday’s parliamentary elections.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and all senior presidential advisers to conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol submitted their resignations, according to Yoon’s office, after Wednesday’s elections dealt a huge blow to Yeol’s party. The elections secured the liberal opposition forces’ control of parliament until after Yoon completes his single five-year term in 2027.
The results will likely set back Yoon's domestic agenda and weaken his grip on the party. He will also have to face the opposition's intensifying political offensive during his remaining three years, experts say.
Yoon’s office did not immediately say whether Yoon would accept their resignations.
HERE'S WHAT SOUTH KOREANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AS THEY VOTE FOR PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK
With most of the votes counted, the main opposition Democratic Party and its satellite party appeared to have won a combined 175 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, according to South Korean media tallies.
Yoon’s ruling People Power Party was projected to have obtained 108 seats.
The final official results were expected later Thursday.
The final voter turnout for South Korea’s 44 million eligible voters was the highest for a parliamentary election since 1992, according to the National Election Commission.
HOW SOUTH KOREA'S ELECTION OF YOON SUK YEOL MAY AFFECT RELATIONSHIP WITH US
In a news conference, ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon announced he was stepping down to take responsibility for the election defeat.
"I apologize to the people on behalf of our party, which wasn't good enough to win the people's choices," he said.
Yoon, a former top