Polls for South Korea's parliamentary election have closed at 6pm South Korea time (5pm Singapore time) on Apr. 10, 2024.

Exit polls show a landslide victory for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).

14,259 polling stations across the country opened at 6am Korea time (5am Singapore time). However, ballots have been cast since Apr. 5 as early voting was open for two days on Apr. 5 and 6, Yonhap News Agency reported.

A total of around 44 million South Koreans are eligible to vote in the country's 2024 parliamentary election, and they are casting one ballot each for their district representative, and for a political party of their choice, AFP reported.

All eyes on Yoon

While the vote may be for the 300 National Assembly seats up for grabs, the focus is squarely on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol from the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

Experts say the election will determine how President Yoon spends the remaining three years in office — to continue carrying out his policies with legislative support, or as a lame duck in the lack thereof.

Yoon's term, totalling five years, is set to end in 2027.

However, his approval ratings have taken a beating in recent months due to a litany of scandals starting from his wife, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who allegedly inappropriately received a Dior bag.

More recently, the country's healthcare industry fell into crisis after trainee doctors walked out en masse in protest of Yoon's decision to increase medical school intake.

Yoon's approval ratings took a nosedive and are now plateauing at the low 30 per cent range.

PPP vs DP for two-third majority

Yoon's PPP is going head to head with its rival DP, led by Lee Jae Myung, who is on trial for alleged fraud and corruption for charges he said have been fabricated.

However, many expect that the DP could win more seats, or could even form an opposition bloc with the Rebuilding Korea Party to deny the PPP a two-thirds majority in parliament, Yonhap News Agency and CNA reported.

Should a party win more than 200 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, or a two-third majority, the party would be strong enough to override presidential vetoes, and could even impeach the president.

Launched by former South Korean Justice Minister Cho Kuk, the Rebuilding Korea Party has received significant support despite being formed this year.

Yonhap reported that many surveys taken before the blackout period on Apr. 4 show DP trumping PPP in many districts, even in some PPP stronghold regions.

Exit polls show DP winning

At the time of writing, exit polls project DP and its satellite sister party Democratic United Party securing a majority of the vote with a combined 168 to 193 seats, according to Yonhap.

PPP and its affiliated People Future Party, on the other hand, are projected to win 87 to 111 seats.

Shy conservative voters could tip scales

However, some experts said before polls closed that it was too early to declare a DP victory due to a group of "shy" conservative voters that could show up in droves to cast their ballots.

Nikkei Asia described "shy conservatives" as people who have not spoken about who they are going to vote.

According to AFP and South Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh, the shy conservative voters in the 2024 parliamentary election are young voters in their 20s or 30s.

AFP reported that close to 50 per cent of voters aged between 18 and 29 said they will not vote on Apr. 10.

Even if these voters do show up, there is no telling which way their votes will go, The Hankyoreh reported.

Experts said the election outcome ultimately boils down to 48 constituencies in Seoul, where the results often mirror that of the overall election results.

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