Center-left wins most in S Korean elections

[Sendo]

I was looking over the results with my girlfriend.

The dominant party took home the conservative strongholds in Busan and Ulsan to no surprise, but Seoul came dhown to a very close (less than 20,000? difference votes) election.

There are reports of fishy election practices, sadly, though, with people gettin ballot cards where the GNP was already marked.

I hope for a recount, but this could spell trouble for activists since most protests take place at the Seoul city hall (a tradition) and capital functions are in the city (parliament is on an island and the Pres house is on the Northern edge of downtown).

In general though, the Democratic Party captured new seats and a further left one, Freedom something, got a governor-ship. If anyone wants to keep up, try to check news results in search engines. Not too much has been reported yet on the Koreans' English versions of the sites.

Hopefully the GNP can't be so brazen anymore in their attacks on teachers, unions, and the like. Though not directly connected to international relations (ie inter-korea), it shows that the people will have more freedom in their expression and the election season has gotten people aware which is good given the "Gulf of Tonkin"-like incident (I wish I was the first to declare that, though :P)

[Crux]

well, I haven't found any clues as to which the other opposition party is. Democratic Labour Party? New Progressive Party?

[Antifa94]

Why is there absolutely NO coverage of this in the news?

[Abyss Crown]

Why is there absolutely NO coverage of this in the news?

I'm going to safely assume you meant that rhetorically and not literally. Though, in all seriousness, the televised media won't give even the bit of coverage of these South Korean elections, if "we're" lucky you'll get one of those messages at the bottom of you're screen; "Shocking elections in South Korea", that'll be it.

[vyborg]

do you know if there is some political organization linked to the very militant Korean unions?

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

It'd be nice if insane Myung-bak would resign for some reason too though...

[Crux]

do you know if there is some political organization linked to the very militant Korean unions?
One union is linked to the Democratic Labour Party, the more militant union I believe. There is also a larger union which as far as I understand is not officially linked to any party. But I suppose Sendo would know more about that, my knowledge is all wikipedia.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

The rightist Grand National Party (GNP) of President Lee Myung-bak picked up 6 out of the 16 provincial governor and city mayor posts up for grabs.

The Democratic Party took seven seats.

The Democratic Party isn't left wing at all. It's "centrist" or "moderate." It was formed by members of the old Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) who thought their party wasn't adamant enough in their support of then-president Roh Moo-Hyun, and discontents from the GNP. Eventually they rejoined the members of the MDP, who had changed the name of their party to United Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party was born. The party is sometimes deemed "left wing" in Korea for paying lip service to Korean reunification and advocating the "sunshine policy," not following U.S. dictates as immediately as the GNP and having ties to organized labor.

Two posts were won by independents and the right wing Liberal Forward Party took one.

The head of the GNP resigned over the losses.

Voter turnout was only 55 percent; low, but still the highest in years.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

The results seem to be a rejection by younger voters of Lee and the GNP's aggressive stance toward the north and kowtowing to the U.S.. They've been called "unexpected" by the media, but nothing amazing has happened here at all. It's not even that big of a surprise as Lee is not very popular in Korea.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

One union is linked to the Democratic Labour Party, the more militant union I believe. There is also a larger union which as far as I understand is not officially linked to any party. But I suppose Sendo would know more about that, my knowledge is all wikipedia.

The largest union body in the country is the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, which was established under a military dictatorship and controlled for years by military officials.

The second largest union body is the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. The KCTU is often attacked and derided for it's political activities. It supports the Democratic Labor Party (not to be confused with the Democratic Party), which was founded as a sort of official political wing for the union.