South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is leading in opinion polls as the potential next leader of the country, officially announced his candidacy for the presidency on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
The upcoming presidential election is scheduled for June 3, following the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office due to a martial law declaration made in December.
In the 2022 presidential election, Mr. Lee narrowly lost to Mr. Yoon in what was the closest margin in the country’s history.
However, in the recent parliamentary election, Mr. Lee led his liberal Democratic Party to a significant victory and has garnered strong support from liberal voters.
On April 9, Mr. Lee resigned as the leader of the main opposition party in preparation for focusing on his presidential campaign.
According to a Gallup poll released on April 4, Mr. Lee is the frontrunner for the presidency with 34% support, while the top conservative contender, former labour minister Kim Moon-soo, has 9% support.
The conservative party has multiple potential candidates for the presidency, and the ruling People Power Party is set to determine its candidate through a primary in May.
Published – April 10, 2025 07:05 am IST
