The June 4 local elections have created a tough test for President Park Geun-hye as the polling day was being seen as an early interim assessment of her leadership and a referendum on her government’s handling of the ferry disaster that left more than 300 dead or missing in April.

Traditionally, the elections have not led to an upheaval of the central government and the presidency, as they were held to pick regional administrators and councilors.

But as the current elections came at a critical juncture when the Park government is still reeling from the ferry debacle, the results were expected to significantly impact her leadership and determine the course of her future policies.

The elections were the first nationwide polls since Park took office in 2013. The president cast her votes at an elementary school near Cheong Wa Dae in the morning. She left the polling station without saying a word.

The elections were also expected to serve as a turning point for the Park administration as she plans to carry out a major Cabinet reshuffle soon, starting with the nomination of a new prime minister and other key posts. Depending on the election outcome, the president is expected to readjust the scale of her reform measures, a promise she made to overcome the unfolding ferry tragedy.

The president vowed to bring drastic changes to her administration by launching new ministries to improve the country’s safety standards and work efficiency. She also plans to name a new deputy premier to handle social issues and to crack down on suspicious business ties between government officials and businesses, seen as a major factor in the Sewol disaster.

President Park has been struggling to bolster her position in the aftermath of the disaster as she failed to placate the angry public over the government’s poor initial response and lack of preventative measures. Park has found herself at the center of criticism since the disaster as she has been viewed as insensitive to the grieving victims’ families.

Her official apology came more than a month after the tragic accident, while a series of reform measures were announced weeks before her tearful address. The president’s failure to embrace the grieving nation became the catalyst for the rapid loss of public confidence in her and her party.

Earlier, both Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Saenuri Party had been confident about the local elections as Park was enjoying a high approval rating. Polls revealed that her approval rating surpassed 60 percent but declined rapidly to the mid-40 percent level right after the Sewol sinking.

Citing the volatile nature of public sentiment, skeptics say Park has had enough time and chances to regain public support and push ahead with her reform drive ahead of the local elections. But she has wasted the opportunity to atone for her errors and the election results will serve as a public verdict on her leadership, they said.

“Park failed to resolve the Sewol crisis. Her communication was lacking and her improper nomination of a P.M. has also jeopardized her reform efforts,” said Yang Seung-ham, political science professor at Yonsei University.

The embattled president has been facing another tricky challenge of finding another suitable candidate for prime minister, raising worries over a further delay in her state reform drive.

Park nominated Ahn Dae-hee, former star prosecutor, as new prime minister last month. But he withdrew himself from nomination last week amid spiraling controversy over his high income and accusations that he received special favors. The nomination of Ahn, who led investigations into high-profile graft cases signified Park’s determination to fight corruption and regain public trust in her government.

But with Ahn stepping down from the nomination, Park is back at square one in her effort to find a symbolic figure to represent her reform drive aimed at rooting out corruption in public offices.

Park is likely to pick one of her aides in her party or a well-reputed person who has no ties to power, politics and government to assure the public that the nominee has no ethical lapses.

The president is widely expected not only to replace the new prime minister but her aides in Cheong Wa Dae as well, including chief of staff Kim Ki-choon. Kim, Park’s long-time aide, has been criticized for exercising too much power behind the scenes and making a series of unsuccessful and unbalanced nominations, relying heavily on his networks of prosecutors and judges. Kim, former justice minister, is the head of the presidential committee for personnel affairs.

Political commentators say the election results will force her to change her management style. The president has been under pressure to give greater authority to the prime minister and other ministers, to increase efficiency and transparency in state affairs.

Some say that the elections are crucial for Park because a bad outcome could possibly put her into early lame-duck status and trigger a power shift in the ruling party. Park’s term ends in early 2018.

“If Saenuri loses, it would bring (about) an early decline in presidential power,” said Shin Yul, political professor at Myongji University. “Pro-Park factions in the party will be replaced by those who have no ties with her,” he added.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)