Vote counting is underway in South Korea's general election. Public broadcaster KBS is projecting the main opposition parties will keep their majority in the National Assembly.

The projection is based on exit polls conducted by KBS and other major TV networks.

KBS expects the opposition Democratic Party and its ally to secure 178 to 196 seats out of the 300 total. It says the ruling People Power Party and its ally are likely to get 87 to 105.

It also estimates the Rebuilding Korea Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, will win 12 to 14 seats through the proportional representation system.

The election commission estimates the voting rate was 67 percent, up 0.8 points from the previous election. That is reportedly the highest in about 30 years.

Opinion polls from a month ago showed the People Power Party with a higher support rate than the Democratic Party.

The administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol announced in February a medical reform plan to increase the number of medical students to prevent a future shortage of doctors. People cited this policy as the main reason for supporting the administration.

But since then, about 10,000 trainee doctors have left medical institutions in protest against the policy. The ongoing standoff has forced the cancellation of surgeries and treatments.

The Democratic Party has criticized Yoon's stance on the issue, saying he has been inflexible. It has also hit out at him for appointing former colleagues to important government positions. It says Yoon has mismanaged the country and deserves to be held accountable by the people.

The opposition parties are now on course to strengthen their grip on the legislature, making it even more difficult for the Yoon administration to push its policies.