South Korean legislative election, 2020

South Korean legislative election, 2020
Election name	21st National Assembly election
Country	South Korea
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2016 South Korean legislative election
Previous year	2016
Next election	2024 South Korean legislative election
Next year	2024
Seats for election	300 seats in the National Assembly (South Korea)
Majority seats	151
Election date	15 April 2020

South Korean legislative election, 2020

The 15 April 2020 legislative election elected all 300 members of the National Assembly (South Korea), reshaping the balance among parties including the Democratic Party of Korea, the Liberty Korea Party, the United Future Party, the Justice Party (South Korea), and the People Power Party (South Korea). The vote occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, with implications for relations with North Korea, United States–South Korea relations, and regional actors such as China–South Korea relations and Japan–South Korea relations.

Background

In the wake of the 2016 South Korean legislative election and the 2017 South Korean presidential election that brought Moon Jae-in to the Blue House, parliamentary dynamics were shaped by fallout from the 2016 South Korean political scandal and the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. The period saw legal battles involving figures such as Choi Soon-sil and institutions including the Prosecutors' Office (South Korea) and the Constitutional Court of Korea. Major parties realigned: the Democratic Party of Korea consolidated factions that had supported Moon Jae-in, while conservative forces coalesced from the remnants of the Saenuri Party into the Liberty Korea Party and later the United Future Party. Debates involving the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, the KORUS FTA, and responses to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests influenced party platforms. The election date coincided with the 2020 South Korean legislative election scheduling controversies and with national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

Electoral system

The National Assembly (South Korea) uses a mixed-member parallel voting system combining single-member districts and proportional representation. Of 300 seats, 253 were filled via first-past-the-post in electoral districts such as Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, while 47 seats were allocated via party lists. The National Election Commission (South Korea) oversaw ballot procedures and emergency measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. Legal frameworks such as the Public Official Election Act and rulings from the Constitutional Court of Korea affected the thresholds and distribution methods that benefitted parties like the Justice Party (South Korea) and smaller groups including Open Democratic Party and People Party (2016) derivatives.

Campaign and issues

Campaign themes included pandemic management under Moon Jae-in, economic policies touching on the Minimum wage in South Korea, housing debates involving the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, and reform of the Prosecutors' Office (South Korea). Foreign policy disputes referencing the Korean Peninsula, KORUS FTA, and tensions with Japan–South Korea trade dispute featured alongside social issues raised by movements such as Me Too (South Korea). Key personalities included Lee Nak-yon, Hwang Kyo-ahn, Sim Sang-jung, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Yoon Seok-youl, while parties mobilized support through organizations like the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union. Health measures informed by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention influenced campaigning logistics, with high-profile figures such as Jung Se-kyun and Choo Mi-ae active in party strategies.

Opinion polls

Opinion polls by agencies such as Gallup Korea, Realmeter, and Korea Research tracked shifting support among the Democratic Party of Korea, the United Future Party, the Justice Party (South Korea), and the Open Democratic Party. Polls conducted in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Gangwon Province showed regional variation, with the Democratic Party of Korea often polling strongly following public approval of pandemic responses. Polling controversies involved methodology debates referencing the Public Official Election Act and were monitored by the National Election Commission (South Korea).

Results

The Democratic Party of Korea achieved a large victory, winning an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly (South Korea)],] outperforming the United Future Party and enabling legislative initiatives on issues like prosecution reform and housing policy. The Justice Party (South Korea) and smaller parties such as the Open Democratic Party and Basic Income Party secured representation via proportional seats. Regional outcomes in areas including Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, and Jeju Province reflected longstanding political geographies dating to the Miracle on the Han River era realignments and reactions to leaders like Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. Voter turnout and absentee ballots were notable against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea and measures by the National Election Commission (South Korea).

Aftermath and government formation

Following the election, the Democratic Party of Korea leveraged its majority to pursue legislative agendas tied to the Moon Jae-in administration, including prosecutors' reform and social spending bills that involved coordination with the Blue House and ministers such as Hong Nam-ki and Choo Mi-ae. Opposition reorganization saw the United Future Party later rebrand as the People Power Party (South Korea), with figures like Yoon Seok-youl emerging as central critics. The parliamentary composition affected appointments, oversight of institutions like the Prosecutors' Office (South Korea) and the Ministry of Justice (South Korea), and South Korea's posture in international forums including relations with the United States, China, Japan, and multilateral settings such as the United Nations. The election's legacy influenced subsequent political contests up to the 2022 South Korean presidential election.

Category:2020 elections in South Korea