South Korea ruling party's defeat casts shadow over Japan ties

SEOUL -- While the defeat suffered by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's party in Wednesday's legislative elections is unlikely to directly affect relations with Japan, it leaves potential stumbling blocks for the administration's effort to improve bilateral ties.

Yoon's People Power Party won 108 of the National Assembly's 300 seats, down from its current 114, though the losses were less severe than pre-election and exit polling predicted.