- By Christy Cooney & Jean McKenzie
- in London and Seoul
image source, Good pictures
Democratic Party (R) leader Lee Jae-myung declared the victory a 'victory for the people'.
South Korea's liberal opposition party has won the country's general election with a landslide, retaining control of parliament.
The Democratic Party (DPK) and smaller opposition parties jointly won 192 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly.
The referendum is widely seen as a midterm vote on President Yoon Suk-yeol's three-year term in office.
His party leader Han Dong-hoon resigned and Prime Minister Han Tak-soo offered to resign.
It was a crushing defeat for Mr Yoon and his People's Power Party (PPP), which has been struggling to achieve its agenda in the DPK-dominated legislature. The DPK's success means it can fast-track and impose legislation through parliament.
Both the DPK and the PPP use breakaway satellite parties to boost their votes under South Korea's electoral system, which reserves few seats for smaller parties.
“This is not a victory for the Democratic Party, but a great victory for the people,” DPK leader Lee Jae-myung said on Thursday.
“Politicians from both sides of the aisle must join forces to address the current economic crisis. Democrats will lead the way in solving the livelihood crisis,” he told reporters.
Today's result may embolden Mr Lee, who lost to Mr Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, to run for another presidency.
Mr Yoon is pressing for solutions to a number of problems, including rising food prices, a rapidly aging population and the ongoing doctors' strike.
In recent weeks, he has been criticized for appearing out of touch with the impact of inflation on voters.
Last month, he was criticized for commenting that a bag of green onions at 875 won (£0.51; $0.65) was “reasonable” during a visit to a Seoul supermarket.
This item is priced at a discount due to subsidies and usually costs between 3,000 and 4,000 won.
The comment sparked a backlash, and bags of green onions were later used as props in farmers' protests and DPK election rallies.
Mr Yoon's wife, Kim Kyon Hee, has been embroiled in controversy over her alleged gift of a luxury bag, while senior members of his party have been charged separately with corruption and abuse of power.
The DPK has been plagued by its own political controversies and civil strife, and has faced allegations of corruption.
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