South Korea Holds Snap Presidential Election on 3 June

Why the Election is Happening
President Yoon Suk Yeol was first elected in 2022 to serve until 2027 but was deposed after imposing martial law on 3rd December. He said that the decision was made because of North Korean threats and “anti-state forces,” but it was later reported that his action was at least in part a response to his own political challenges. He was impeached by the Parliament a week later and on 4 April the Constitutional Court validated the impeachment and called for a snap election in 60 days.

South Korea has had three acting presidents since the crisis began. This role is currently filled by Lee Ju-ho, succeeded by Prime Minister Han Duck Soo, who also was impeached. Minister Choi Sang-mok assumed the post temporarily before Han returned in March.

Key Issues for the New Leader
The voting comes amid deep national divisions triggered by Yoon’s declaration of martial law. Public confidence in the government and the economy has taken a bruising, in particular after South Korean exports were slapped with fresh 25% tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tensions on relations with North Korea linger. While this year has so far been relatively peaceful on the line, the year before saw both countries trading drones and propaganda balloons. The next South Korean president will also have to balance ties between China, its largest trading 
s for domestic issues, the one that worries me the most is the low birth rate -- 0.75, one of the lowest in the world. Whoever takes office, this demographic crisis is likely to be high up their list.

Who Are the Top Contenders?
The opposition Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung is leading at the moment. He lost by a narrow margin to Yoon in the 2022 election, and is known for his working-class background having gone from working in a factory to a human rights lawyer. He pledges to construct a more just South Korea with greater job prospects.

His chief rival was Kim Moon-soo from the ruling PPP, a former labour minister whose campaign is centred on making South Korea more business-friendly. Other contenders are Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party, Kwon Young-guk of the Democratic Labor Party and independents Hwang Kyo-ahn and Song Jin-ho.
It is the first presidential election in 18 years not to feature a woman candidate.

Election Schedule and Outcome
The voting day is scheduled for 3 June between 0600 and 2000 local time. The overseas early voting was conducted from 20 to 25 May. Results should arrive soon after the polls close, probably in the early hours of 4 June.

Yoon's victory in the 2022 race was narrow, with results determined by 04:40 the following day by a margin of 0.73%. The new president would take office without the traditional transition period.

What Former President Yoon Will Face
Yoon Suk Yeol is the defendant in a case of insurrection for attempting to declare martial law. He was arrested in January, becoming the first sitting South Korean president taken into custody. He was later released on a technicality, however, and has since been charged with abuse of power in a second case.

Before the election, Yoon withdrew his membership from his party to help Kim Moon-soo's push under the banner of the ruling party.