South Korea to hold snap elections on June 3 after ousting president

Leader of the Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung is the front-runner in the elections. Lee lost to Yoon with a margin of less than 1% votes in 2022

South Korea is scheduled to hold snap presidential elections on June 3 after its Constitutional Court officially removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office last week for his controversial declaration of martial law in December 2024 and mobilising military force against lawmakers.

 

Following the order, South Korean law requires an election to be held within 60 days to fill up the country's top position. South Korea's presidential term last for five years.

 

A brief look at what went down in South Korea in the past few months: 

• Yoon imposed martial law on December 3, 2024, following a political gridlock in the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
• He justified his actions by citing political deadlock and alleged threats from what he called “anti-state forces” linked to North Korea.
• The imposition, which lasted only for six hours before being revoked, was seen as an attempt to shut down the Assembly.
• Soon after, the National Assembly impeached Yoon, leaving his political fate in the hands of the Constitutional Court.
• Yoon had initially been arrested in January on charges of insurrection but was released in March when a court revoked his arrest warrant.
• Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over as the acting president of South Korea.

 

As the nation prepares for the election, Yoon's charges remain, leaving him exposed to further legal consequences, including a potential life sentence.

 

South Korea's top presidential candidates

 

The political turmoil has created a void in leadership, which comes amid the US imposing tariffs and economic slowdown. To fill it up, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, is the front-runner in the elections. Lee lost to Yoon with a margin of less than 1 per cent votes in the last presidential elections in 2022.

 

A Gallup poll shows 34 per cent support for Lee, while 9 per cent backed conservative Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo, 5 per cent for former ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon, 4 per cent for Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, and 2 per cent for Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon, as reported by Reuters.