S. Korean Presidential Election: Use Poll As Opportunity to End Turmoil after Martial Law

Editorial

14:59 JST, May 18, 2025

Campaigning for South Korea’s presidential election has started. It is hoped that the election will serve as an opportunity for South Korean politics to get back on track after the extraordinary developments of a martial law declaration and the removal of the incumbent president.

The presidential election will be held in the wake of the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who had about two years left in his term, in response to his abrupt declaration of martial law in December last year. Voting and vote counting will take place on June 3.

The election campaign is centered on two candidates: Lee Jae-myung, a former leader of the left-leaning Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, which is aiming for a change of power, and Kim Moon-soo, a former minister of employment and labor from the conservative ruling People Power Party, which supported Yoon.

According to opinion polls, Lee is leading by a wide margin. Lee narrowly lost to Yoon in the previous presidential election in 2022, but he boasts high name recognition and extensive political experience, having served as a party leader and governor.

Among eligible voters, criticism over Yoon’s declaration of martial law remains strong, acting as a tailwind for Lee. Lee is currently facing five criminal trials, including one related to violations of the election law. However, there is a view that the trials would be suspended if Lee were elected, and his duties would not be affected.

In contrast, Kim is a hard-line conservative who opposed Yoon’s impeachment. Within the party, there was a move just before the election campaign began to replace Kim with Han Duck-soo, a former prime minister and moderate who was expected to attract support from unaffiliated voters. However, this idea was abandoned following a survey of party members’ opinions.

Both candidates will likely face the challenge of gaining support from moderate voters after solidifying their support bases.

Since the imposition of martial law, the divide between conservatives and leftists in South Korea has deepened, leading to continued stagnation in national politics. During the campaign, both sides should avoid criticizing each other and thereby further escalating confrontations, and instead engage in constructive policy debates.

Both candidates have announced pledges that focus on economic measures. They should compete against each other by presenting effective measures to address issues of high concern to the public, such as the surge in apartment prices in metropolitan areas and rising prices.

Meanwhile, there are differences in their diplomatic stances. Lee has criticized the Yoon administration’s efforts to improve relations with Japan as a diplomacy of humiliation toward Japan. Although he has refrained from criticizing Japan during the campaign, concern remains that he will once again take a hard line toward Japan if elected.

In addition to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, its deployment of troops to Russia and China’s aggressive maritime expansion, Japan and South Korea both face the common challenge of how to address the Trump administration’s high tariffs and disregard for alliances.

The selection of South Korea’s new leader will have a significant impact not only on Japan-South Korea relations but also on security and economic cooperation throughout East Asia.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 18, 2025)