"Normalization of Korea" Begins... Ruling and Opposition Parties Reorganize in the Changed Political Landscape

Lee Jae Myung Elected President with Highest Vote Count Ever
Political Circles Call for "Cooperation and Unity"
Democratic Party Forms New Leadership, People Power Party Begins Reorganization

The darkness that had descended after the declaration of martial law has come to an end, and normalization has begun. With the election of President Lee Jae Myung through the June 3 presidential election, the six months of turmoil that began in December of last year have concluded. The political sphere has begun reorganizing itself in the new political environment following the presidential election.

According to the National Election Commission, on the 4th, President Lee Jae Myung received 17,287,513 votes, the highest number ever recorded in a presidential election. His final vote share was 49.42%. Although this did not reach a majority, it surpassed the 48.91% achieved by former President Roh Moo Hyun in the 16th presidential election, marking the highest percentage for a president from the Democratic Party lineage.

In this election, held after the chaos of martial law and other disruptions, President Lee saw his vote share rise by 1.3 to 3.7 percentage points in all regions except for Honam, where he had already received overwhelming support in the previous election. Considering that this election was a three-way race, unlike the previous head-to-head contest, this is a significant achievement. However, the election results continued to reflect a confrontation between the capital region, Chungcheong, and Honam versus Gangwon and Yeongnam, highlighting the ongoing challenge of national unity.

President Lee Jae Myung is greeting residents and supporters as he departs from his private residence in Gyeyang District, Incheon on the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News

In response to the election results, the political community has emphasized the need for cooperation and unity. President Lee, in his acceptance speech upon the confirmation of his victory, promised the people "national unity." The People Power Party stated, "We will become a strong opposition party that protects the lives of the people and brings together a nation divided by conflict, achieving great national unity." National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik also wrote on social media, "The Republic of Korea now stands at the starting line of a new era," and expressed hope that "we will move toward a path of greater unity, a path of democracy and livelihood that makes people's lives more comfortable, and a path of peace and prosperity that will elevate Korea's standing in the world."

The victorious Democratic Party will now begin the process of forming a new leadership. Starting with the floor leader election on the 13th, preparations for the party convention, including the party leader election, will begin. In addition, as a significant number of party members are expected to join the new administration, adjustments in the roles between the party and the government are likely to take place.

The People Power Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in the election, is expected to face internal turmoil. There are already calls within the party for the creation of a new party. Some have argued, "We need to reorganize the party from scratch" and "We should launch a new party through a party convention." Furthermore, since the combined support rates of the Reform New Party (8.34%) and the People Power Party (41.15%) in this election would match that of the Democratic Party, not only has the issue of responsibility arisen, but discussions about a possible merger are also expected to intensify.