President Yoon’s Future Uncertain After Crushing Election Defeat

Presidential Office Photojournalist Corps

Foreign media on the 10th predicted that President Yoon Suk Yeol would face a lame-duck period for the remaining three years following the Democratic Party’s overwhelming victory in the 22nd general elections. They foresaw difficulties in domestic and foreign policy.

The New York Times (NYT) referred to the exit poll results of this general election, stating, “President Yoon is facing a lame-duck threat for the rest of his term.”

“His efforts to drastically increase the number of doctors, along with corporate tax cuts and other business-friendly measures, appear increasingly imperiled as they remain stalled on domestic agendas.” the NYT observed.

Bloomberg News analyzed, “President Yoon will be in a weak position for the remaining three years of his term and will face political stalemate.” The Associated Press also predicted, “President Yoon will become a lame-duck for the remaining three years of his term.”

The NYT pointed out, “In the two years since he was elected, President Yoon Suk Yeol has made his mark in foreign policy, forging deeper ties with the United States and Japan. But his business-friendly domestic agenda has been stalled by his missteps and an opposition-controlled Parliament.”

Reuters predicted that the opposition’s victory could hinder President Yoon’s policy efforts to strengthen security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, revitalize the economy, improve fiscal soundness, and increase the record-low birth rate.

However, the NYT speculated, “The outcome of the contest is unlikely to have any immediate impact on Mr. Yoon’s efforts to expand security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo to deter North Korea, as foreign policy concentrates in the hands of the president.”

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), on the other hand, predicted that President Yoon, who has dramatically strengthened relations with the U.S. and Japan and taken a hard line against North Korea, will face significant difficulties during the remainder of his term and will encounter obstacles in advancing domestic agendas.

The WSJ especially expressed concern, stating that if the voters’ apparent resistance towards President Yoon continues, maintaining the conservative party’s power in the following presidential election is very skeptical. Moreover, if this skepticism continues, not only friendly countries but also hostile countries may act on the assumption that there is an expiration date on President Yoon’s foreign policy direction.

The Washington Times (WT) they were also predicted that defeating the Power of the People Party would significantly affect President Yoon’s domestic policy and that diplomats from South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. would face new challenges.

The WT pointed out that President Yoon’s efforts to restore relations with Japan have angered many Korean voters who habitually regard Japan as an unrepentant former imperialist nation.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) saw this election as a midterm evaluation of the Yoon Suk Yeol government and predicted that, due to the defeat in the general election, President Yoon might retire with few achievements other than foreign policy.