South Korea's opposition party names presidential candidate

SEOUL: South Korea’s main opposition party named on Sunday its former leader Lee Jae-myung as its candidate for June presidential elections following the impeachment of president Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration.

Lee, who won the nomination with an overwhelming 89.7 percent of the vote, will represent the Democratic Party against a candidate from Yoon’s conservative People Power Party (PPP).

The June 3 snap election was called after Yoon was stripped of his powers for attempting to impose military rule on the country in December, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament.

Yoon’s martial law decree lasted only around six hours and was swiftly overturned by lawmakers who defied the order, climbing over the parliament’s fences to vote it down.

“The people have entrusted me with the mission to reclaim power by an overwhelming victory, to bring an end to the old era of insurrection and regression,” Lee told a party convention in Goyang, northwest of the capital Seoul.

“I will repay your trust by building a truly new nation — a genuine Republic of Korea overflowing with hope and passion,” the 60-year-old added.

Lee’s nomination marks a turnaround from 2022, when he lost the presidential election to Yoon by the narrowest margin in the country’s history.

Recent polls show Lee leading far ahead of other contenders, with the latest Gallup survey placing him at 38 percent support, while all other contenders polled in single digits.

The PPP is scheduled to name its nominee on Saturday.

Han Dong-hoon, former PPP chief, and Kim Moon-soo, a former labour minister under Yoon, are among the candidates for the party’s nomination.

But Lee has been the subject of multiple investigations, including bribery and campaign law violations, which he has denounced as politically motivated.

A Seoul court acquitted Lee in March in an election law violation case, overturning a lower court ruling, removing a major hurdle that could have barred him from running if upheld.

Lee still faces a slew of other trials, including on corruption charges. But these trials could be suspended should Lee be elected in June, due to presidential immunity, and would resume once his term is complete.