South Korea sets presidential election for June 3
The South Korean government has approved June 3 as the date for a snap presidential election, after President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted last week for briefly declaring martial law.
South Korea's cabinet has agreed to set the election date for Tuesday, after discussions with the National Election Commission as a public holiday needed to be approved for the polls.
Mr. Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court for violating his public duty by issuing a decree on martial law on December 3, 2024, and mobilizing the military to prevent the activities of the National Assembly.
By law, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days if the presidential position falls vacant.
South Korea has been gripped by months of political turmoil after Mr. Yoon stunned the country with his declaration of martial law, leading to his impeachment by the National Assembly, along with current Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo.
Mr Han's impeachment was later rejected by the Constitutional Court, and he will continue to serve as acting president until the election.
A power vacuum at the top of South Korea's government has overshadowed Seoul's efforts to manage relations with the Trump administration, amid rising US tariffs and a slowing economy in Asia's fourth-largest economy.
Lee Jae-myung, the populist leader of the liberal Democratic Party who narrowly lost to Yoon in 2022, is currently the front-runner, but he is also facing a series of lawsuits, including allegations of violating election laws and accepting bribes.
Meanwhile, the conservative camp has yet to have a prominent candidate, with several faces competing in the race.
According to a Gallup survey released on April 4, 34% of respondents supported Mr. Lee as the next president, 9% supported Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo (conservative), 5% supported former ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon, 4% chose Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, and 2% supported Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.