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South Korean Leader Wins Big in Election During Pandemic

  • Moon’s party posted the largest win since democracy in 1987
  • Postponing the election would have been a worrisome precedent
Bloomberg business news
WATCH: Andreas Bauer, Korea mission chief at the IMF, discusses the outlook for South Korea's economy and the government's policies amid the virus outbreak. (Source: Bloomberg)
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s ruling coalition scored the largest parliamentary election victory since the end of military-backed rule more than three decades ago, signaling to global leaders that a strong pandemic response can win votes.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and its satellite group won 180 places in the 300-seat National Assembly, according to data from South Korea’s election commission. Voter turnout was at about 66%, the highest in 28 years, and the results were seen as a show of support for Moon’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.