South Koreans cast legislative election ballots in test for Yoon

SEOUL -- Polls opened Wednesday in pivotal legislative elections in South Korea, as voters cast ballots in what will serve as an assessment of the administration of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is struggling with unpopularity, near the halfway mark of his single five-year term.

Yoon's ruling People Power Party trailed in polls leading up to the elections for the unicameral National Assembly. Yoon, the country's former chief prosecutor, has garnered low approval ratings -- put at 37.3% in the first week of April by polling firm RealMeter -- since taking office in May 2022. He has also been hamstrung in the legislature, where the main opposition Democratic Party holds a commanding majority.