Posted : 2021-05-05 17:35 By Park Yoon-bae
The Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are still reeling from the crushing defeat in the April 7 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. Now the question is whether they can regain public trust and escape the political deadlock.
From the start, the DPK stood little chance of winning the elections. It should not have fielded candidates in the country s two largest cities as it had promised earlier in accordance with the then party rules.
But the DPK changed the regulations designed to withhold it from fielding candidates in any by-elections if its elected members lost their posts due to corruption or other serious criminal acts. The change ran counter to President Moon s much-touted pledge to create a fair and just society.
South Korean mayoral elections lead to government reshuffles
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kFollowing party losses in major mayoral elections, South Korean President Moon Jae-in replaced the prime minister and six cabinet members on April 16, according to
On April 7, mayoral elections were held in the South Korean capital of Seoul and the country’s second largest city of Busan.
“If Moon’s party loses, it would be a crushing defeat that would bring a political brain death for him and eliminate any momentum to push ahead with his policy agenda,” said Kim Hyung-joon, a political scientist at Myongji University in Seoul, prior to the election.
Ruling party faces internal dispute over election defeat
Posted : 2021-04-12 16:53
Updated : 2021-04-12 18:34
Rep. Do Jong-hwan, center, chief of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea s emergency committee, which was formed after its crushing defeat by the rival main opposition People Power Party in last week s by-elections, speaks during a committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
By Jung Da-min
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is embroiled in internal disputes over the cause of its crushing defeat by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in the April 7 by-elections, as well as over how to establish new policy strategies.
Published April 10, 2021, 6:10 PM
EXO’s Oh Se-hun (left) and new Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (SM Entertainment, Seoul Metropolitan Gov’t)
Every year, fans of K-pop boy band EXO’s Sehun prepare a long celebration ahead of his birthday, which falls on April 12.
But this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government stopped the early display of Sehun’s street lamp post birthday banners due to the Seoul mayoralty election.
The Seoul election was held on April 7 and one of the candidates is a namesake of Oh Se-hun. Comebacking politician Oh Se-hoon, 60, and EXO’s Oh Se-hun have the same Korean name.
The banners were originally set to be placed on the lamp posts from April 2 to 4 and April 9 to 12, according to a Twitter post.