Official campaigning for South Korea's upcoming general election kicked off Thursday, with President Yoon Suk-yeol's ruling party fighting to win back a parliamentary majority and thwart opposition attempts to derail his conservative agenda.
Surrounded by cheering supporters, the leaders of the country's two major parties staged rival events in the capital Seoul to begin just under two weeks of campaigning before the April 10 vote.
Experts say the poll is crucial for Yoon's People Power Party (PPP), since the president could end up a lame duck for the final three years of his term if the opposition wins a supermajority.