South Korean voters will cast their votes on Wednesday in an election that could decide control of the country’s parliament.

The opposition Democratic Party, which is expected to retain its majority in the 300-seat National Assembly, has blocked much of the agenda of conservative President Yun Seok-yeol and his People Power party. If it wins 200 seats, the opposition would have enough votes to override Yin’s veto.

The campaign is a replay of the bitter 2022 presidential race between Yoon Eun-hye and her liberal rival Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, whom Yoon narrowly won.

President Yoon, who has been plagued by low approval ratings since taking office in 2022, is dealing with a backlash from doctors over the government’s proposal to increase the number of medical students from 3,000 to 5,000 by next year to provide adequate medical care for South Korea’s rapidly aging population. strike.

Lee Myung-bak, who was seriously injured in a stabbing attack in January, has painted President Yoon and his party as a failed government, while the People’s Power Party has highlighted Lee’s indictment on corruption charges that he said were false. for political motives.

Allegations of misconduct also cast a shadow over Yoon Eun-hye and former Justice Minister Cho Kook, leader of the New Korea Reconstruction Party. Yoon’s wife, Kim Gun-hee, was accused of breaking the law by accepting a luxury handbag as a gift, while Cho was on trial for fraud.

Slightly more than 30% of South Korea’s 44 million eligible voters have cast their ballots during last week’s early voting, the highest turnout for a parliamentary election. Formal results are not expected to be announced until early Thursday.

Some information for this report comes from the Associated Press, Reuters, and AFP.