The ruling block has a total of 179 seats in the National Assembly.
The ruling bloc, led by the Toburo Democratic Party, won the 21st National Assembly (Parliament) of the Republic of Korea elections on 15 April. According to a report from the Central Election Commission on Thursday, the elections in all districts were declared valid and all 300 seats in the unicameral South Korean parliament were filled: 253 in unicameral districts and 47 on party lists.
As at 09:00 a.m., 99.9 per cent of the ballots had been processed, and the ruling bloc had a total of 179 seats in the National Assembly (60.9 per cent of the membership). The ruling party has obtained an overwhelming majority of seats in Parliament for the first time in 16 years, which will allow it to pass almost any laws on its own, except those relating to the constitutional review. They require the approval of 200 legislators.
The opposition bloc led by the United Future Party holds 101 seats, representing 34.4% of the National Assembly. Five seats are held by the Justice Party, three by the People’s Party, one by the Open Democratic Party and five by independent candidates.
According to the Central Election Commission, the turnout was 66.2 per cent, including 26.69 per cent of voters who participated in early elections on 10-11 April. This is the highest turnout in 28 years. South Korean political analysts note that the past elections in fact represent an assessment of the performance of President Moon Jae In.
A distinctive feature of the current plebiscite is the precautionary measures taken by the South Korean authorities due to the proliferation of a new type of coronavirus. For example, citizens were required to attend polling stations wearing protective masks. Voters were also required to maintain a distance of one metre from each other in queues for ballots and in voting booths. Before entering the polling stations, citizens had to disinfect their hands and wear plastic gloves.