Seoul [South Korea], April 8: Yonhap quoted a South Korean official as saying that the government had decided to hold a presidential election on June 3 to choose a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The official also said that South Korea's acting President Han Duck-so intends to confirm the June 3 election date during today's cabinet meeting (April 8).
A presidential election in South Korea must be held within 60 days after the Constitutional Court on April 4 dismissed Yoon Suk Yeol for being impeached in connection with his controversial decision to declare martial law on December 3, 2024. The National Election Commission began accepting candidate registrations shortly after the Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon. If the June 3 election date is confirmed, candidates will have to register before May 11 and the official campaign period will begin on May 12.
The upcoming presidential election will be the main contest between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition Democratic Party (DP). The Korea Times yesterday quoted PPP lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong as saying that the upcoming presidential election will reflect public sentiment towards Lee Jae-myung, who has led the DP since 2022.
A recent Realmeter poll showed that Lee, 62, is a potential candidate to become South Korea's 14th president, with 49.5 percent of the 1,510 adults surveyed supporting Lee, according to AA News Agency. Lee was acquitted last month in a violation of election law, paving the way for a presidential race. This will be the second time Lee has run for president since he narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 election.
Meanwhile, a new Realmeter poll shows that two potential PPP presidential candidates receive much lower support than Lee. Specifically, Minister of Labor and Employment Kim Moon-so (74 years old) was supported by 16.3% of those polled, while former PPP Chairman Han Dong-hoon (52 years old) was only supported by 6.7 percent.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
