S Korea opposition set for landslide win
South Korea's opposition was heading towards a landslide victory on Wednesday in parliamentary elections, exit polls indicated, in a major blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol. The outcome, if confirmed, will at the very least leave Yoon as a lame duck for the three remaining years of his term in office, and could even open the way for his impeachment. The Democratic Party (DP) of Lee Jae-myung – survivor of a January knife attack by a disgruntled voter – and its satellites are forecast to win as many as 197 seats, up from 156 in the last parliament. Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) and its partner were projected to be trailing on between 85 to 99 seats, down from 114, the exit polls conducted by three major broadcasters indicated. All opposition parties combined may even have secured a super-majority of 200 in the 300-seat parliament, which could in theory allow them to attempt to remove Yoon from office before his term ends in 2027. That includes the new Rebuilding Korea party, led by former justice minister Cho Kuk, which capitalised on discontent with the two main parties to pick up a projected 12-14 seats. "The people have won, the will to judge the Yoon Suk Yeol administration is very clear," Cho said after the vote, local media reported. On the campaign trail, he vowed to make Yoon "first a lame duck, then a dead duck". (AFP)