Political strife in Seoul will hobble governance

Significance

Political compromise between the main parties is at a three-decade low, with the DPK step being unprecedented. President Yoon Suk-yeol’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) has retaliated by launching legal cases against senior DPK figures. The stand-off leaves Yoon unable to legislate while also facing controversies over corruption and a widening doctors’ strike.

Impacts

• Continued gridlock could block reforms to pension and healthcare finances, both of which risk insolvency unless contributions rise soon.
• Despite more foreign policy autonomy, Yoon’s domestic weakness will diminish Seoul’s global standing, imperilling rapprochement with Japan.
• Inter-party tensions could mean Yoon faces impeachment, but this would need some (unlikely) defections from the PPP.