South Korea’s president faces a major test in a crucial parliamentary election

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Koreans vote Wednesday for a new parliament in a hotly contested election that’s seen as a referendum on conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol. The vote has raised worries about a deepening domestic divide. Regardless of the results, Yoon will stay in power. But experts say that a failure by Yoon’s governing People Power Party to restore a parliamentary majority could make him an early lame duck. Pre-election surveys indicate liberal opposition parties will likely maintain a dominant position in the National Assembly. But many observers say it’s still too early to determine who will win because many electorates are being closely fought and many moderate voters will make last-minute choices.