Opposition parties sweep two parliamentary by-elections

South Korea's opposition parties won two parliamentary by-elections Wednesday, dealing another blow to the ruling Uri Party.

In Incheon's Namdong-eul district, Lee Weon-bok of the main opposition Grand national Party was elected by receiving 57.7 percent of the votes counted, defeating candidates from the Democratic Labor Party and Uri Party, who gathered only 18.5 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.

Chae Il-byung of the minor opposition Democratic Party won the election in the Haenam-Jindo district in South Jeolla Province with 64.4 percent of the ballots counted, defeating the Uri Party's Park Yang-soo, who earned only 28.6 percent.

The election results should serve as another bellwether of voter sentiment ahead of next year's presidential elections, though they will not change the balance of power in the 297-member parliament, political experts said.

President Roh Moo-hyun and his ruling Uri Party have been suffering from dwindling approval ratings amid the slumping economy, lackluster reform measures and lingering regional tension over North Korea's nuclear threats.

Seoul, Oct. 25 (Yonhap News)