South Korea will hold a presidential election on June 3, Acting President Han Duck-soo announced Tuesday, marking the country’s first snap vote since the Constitutional Court removed Yoon Suk Yeol from office earlier this month. The court unanimously upheld parliament’s December impeachment of Yoon, who was ousted over his abrupt declaration of martial law — a move critics condemned as an unconstitutional power grab.
Yoon’s impeachment, finalized on April 4, followed months of political turmoil after he deployed troops to suppress protests and cited threats from “anti-state forces” to justify the emergency decree. The move backfired, triggering nationwide demonstrations and deepening societal divisions. Han apologized for the “confusion and worries” caused by the crisis, pledging to steer the nation toward stability.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 election, is now the frontrunner, with recent polls giving him a 34% approval rating. Conservative contenders include former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and three-time candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, though the ruling party remains fractured. Yoon, meanwhile, faces criminal charges of insurrection in a separate trial set to begin later this month.
The election comes amid economic strain from U.S. tariffs on South Korean exports, adding urgency to the vote as citizens seek leadership capable of navigating both domestic and global challenges. Yoon’s 14-month presidency — the shortest in South Korea’s democratic history — leaves behind a polarized electorate and a political system grappling with the fallout of his unprecedented impeachment.
Source: BBC
