South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties split victories in local by-elections last week, in a series of races closely watched as a barometer of public sentiment.

While each side maintained control of their traditional strongholds, experts told Korea Pro that the elections exposed significant vulnerabilities for both major parties that could shape national politics in the coming years.

The elections marked the first major electoral test for both parties since the Democratic Party’s (DP) dominant victory in the April parliamentary elections, and they unfolded against a backdrop of growing tensions between the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) leadership and the