Disgraced ex-justice minister seeks to shake up South Korea election

27/3/2024 19:56

        A minor South Korean opposition party launched by disgraced former justice minister Cho Kuk has emerged as potentially the strongest spoiler to the chances of either of its two major parties securing a majority in next month's parliamentary election.
        
        Cho, a liberal and confidante of former President Moon Jae-in, is likely to ally – but not merge - with the democrats who currently have a majority in parliament. He has mainly been courting Democratic Party (DP) members disenfranchised by party leader Lee Jae-myung, once an archrival of Moon.
        
        Both Cho and Lee are involved in criminal cases for separate fraud and corruption charges - which they deny - but their alliance could prove problematic for conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, a former top prosecutor whose meteoric political rise came after he clashed with his predecessor Moon while leading the fraud investigation into Cho's family.
        
        Cho said his aim is for the opposition camp to gain sufficient seats in the election to make Yoon a "dead duck" president.