South Korea’s SEOUL — Inspired by the removal of conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, who now faces an explosive trial on rebellion charges over his brief implementation of martial law in December, millions of South Koreans are voting Tuesday for a new president in a snap election sparked.
Riding on great public resentment over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon’s martial law crisis, pre-election polls revealed Lee Jae-myung, Yoon’s liberal archrival, seemed poised for an easy triumph.
As his People Power Party stays in a morass of internal strife about how to evaluate Yoon’s actions, Kim Moon Soo, the leading conservative candidate, has battled to win over moderate, swing voters.
Though commentators warn a domestic split widened following Yoon’s martial law farce is far from gone and could cause significant political load on the future president, this election marks another landmark moment in the robust democracy of the nation.
While a leadership void brought on by Yoon’s impeachment and subsequent official dismissal rocked the nation’s high-level diplomatic activity and financial markets, the last six months witnessed great numbers of people gathering in the streets to either oppose or support Yoon.
Without the usual two-month interval, the victorious candidate will instantly be inaugurated in as president Wednesday for a single, full term of five years. Among the primary obstacles the incoming president will have to deal with are a weakening economy, President Donald Trump’s America-first policies, and North Korea’s developing nuclear threats.
Voting started at six in the morning at fourteen,295 polling places all over, closing at eight at night. According to onlookers, the champion can show up as early as midnight.
Lee has preached patience over Trump’s tariff policies, contending it would be a mistake to hurry negotiations in search of an early compromise with Washington. Kim has declared he will meet Trump right away.
South Korean trade officials convened an emergency meeting on Monday to go over a reaction to Trump’s declaration that starting June 4 the U.S. will hike taxes on steel and aluminum goods to 50%. Citing the possible impact of Trump’s tariff increases and declining domestic demand exacerbated by political unrest of past months, South Korea’s central bank this week drastically reduced its 2025 growth projection to 0.8%.
Relations with North Korea remain severely tense since 2019; the North is focused on growing its nuclear weapons and rejects talks with South Korea and the United States.
Trump has often stated his intention to continue conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un since his second term started in January, but Kim has so far turned Russia first in foreign policy while ignoring the invitation.
Lee, who seeks closer relations with North Korea, recently said that realizing a summit with Kim Jong Un would be “very difficult” anytime soon. Lee said he would back Trump’s attempt to resume negotiations with Kim Jong Un, believing it would finally enable South Korea to participate in some projects in North Korea.
Said Paik Wooyeal, a Yonsei University professor from Seoul, foreign policy planners for Lee know there is nothing South Korea can do to bring about a denuclearization of North Korea.
He added Lee also does not share the Korean nationalistic fervor exhibited by former liberal President Moon Jae-in, who visited Kim Jong Un three times during his 2017-22 term.
