South Koreans go to the polls

South Koreans voted today in tightly contested parliamentary elections that could determine the future of impeached President Roh Moo-hyun.

The nationwide poll has been largely driven by last month’s controversial impeachment of Roh, the country’s first since the Republic of Korea was founded in 1948.

The National Election Commission was expecting the issue to spur voter turnout of more than 60%. Five hours into the polling, around 25.2% of the country’s 35.6 million eligible voters had cast ballots, up from 22.9% at the same juncture during the last election four years ago.

Polls close at 6pm local time (10am Irish time), with early results by 9pm (1pm Irish time). Final official results were expected tomorrow morning.

Roh was not vying for a seat but the vote was seen as a referendum on the suspended leader’s rule. Roh has pledged to resign if the pro-government Uri Party fares poorly.

“Everyone should vote,” Roh urged after casting his vote with First Lady Kwon Yang-sook at a school for the speaking- and hearing-impaired near the presidential office.

The Uri was once forecast to take an easy majority in the 299-seat National Assembly, riding a backlash against the opposition-backed impeachment. Surveys suggested around seven in 10 South Koreans opposed the move. But local media say the lead has been slipping.

If the Uri Party wins, it would strengthen Roh’s hand as the Constitutional Court rules on whether to uphold his impeachment or restore his executive powers. A Uri majority also would create the first liberal-dominated assembly in decades. Roh is not a Uri Party member, but has said he plans to join.

Roh has preached reconciliation with communist North Korea and greater independence from Washington, policies expected to be pursued by the Uri Party. Depending on the make-up of the new parliament, lawmakers could spur debate about South Korea’s commitment to the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and relations with the rival North.

“South Korean democracy is at a crossroads,” Uri leader Chung Dong-young said after voting. “In the past, the people were the owner of the country for one day on election day. I hope the people can fully execute their sovereign rights so that they can be the owner of the country for four years.”

In an effort to siphon support from the Uri Party, the main opposition Grand National Party said it would start pursuing “more flexible and future-oriented North Korean policies”.

Its leader, Park Geun-hye – whose mother was assassinated in 1974 by a North Korean agent unsuccessfully targeting her father, then President Park Chung-hee - pledged to visit the North to foster ties.

The fellow opposition Millennium Democratic Party meanwhile wants the new parliament to reconsider South Korea’s plan to send 3,600 troops to Iraq.

The National Assembly had approved the dispatch with support from all major parties, including members of the MDP. But flaring violence in Iraq has made the plan unpopular, especially among the young.

The GNP and MDP impeached Roh on grounds of incompetence and illegal electioneering but saw their backing plummet after the vote.

Today’s election had 1,175 candidates vying for 243 district seats. Voters were choosing both a candidate and party. The additional 56 seats are distributed to parties according to their ballot shares.

Uri was projected to have a solid hold on 90 to 100 seats, and the GNP between 80 and 90. That would mark a big improvement for Uri over the 49 seats the party had in the outgoing parliament.