POLITICS
Opposition chief leads candidates eyeing South Korean presidency
April 4, 2025 - Opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung is the front runner to succeed President Yoon Suk Yeol after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment, permanently removing him from office.
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A handful of candidates are set to compete for the country’s highest office ahead of an election that must be held by June 3.
Leading in the polls is Lee Jae-myung, a combative former factory worker and lawyer who heads the left-wing opposition Democratic Party. He narrowly lost to Yoon Suk-yeol in the 2022 presidential race by less than a percentage point.
Potential contenders from Yoon’s conservative People Power Party include Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, and former party leader Han Dong-hoon.
The next president will need strong diplomatic skills to convince Donald Trump to ease the newly announced tariffs and to ensure continued U.S. support for South Korea, especially as North Korea becomes increasingly assertive.