Election looms after Yoon’s ouster

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, left, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday, after the Constitutional Court's decision to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office. Newsis

The Constitutional Court’s decision on Friday to formally impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition has left Korea without an elected leader as the government faces major challenges at home and abroad.

Attention now turns to who will fill that top post, with a snap presidential election to be held within 60 days under the law.

The political development comes after the court upheld the National Assembly’s impeachment motion against Yoon in a ruling that found his martial law imposition failed to meet both substantial and procedural requirements.

The date for the election has not yet been decided, but acting President Han Duck-soo is expected to designate the date during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. It is most likely to be held on June 3, exactly 60 days after Yoon’s ouster was finalized.

Amid this tight schedule, the country's major rival parties — Yoon's conservative People Power Party (PPP) and the more liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) — are expected to launch election preparations this week, setting up respective election committees that will decide on a road map for their primaries and campaign plans.

If the election date is set for June 3, the parties must determine and register their candidates by May 11, a day before the official campaign period launches. Those currently serving as local office chiefs or ministers have to resign at least 30 days before the election if they want to join the race, meaning by May 4.

Against this backdrop, presidential hopefuls are gearing up to announce their candidacy this week.

A phrase calling for a fair election and a statue standing for popular sovereignty are displayed at the National Election Commission's office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Yonhap

There is little doubt that Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the DPK, will be the candidate for the liberal party. In every poll, Lee leads his rivals, such as Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, by a seemingly insurmountable margin.

Lee’s aides told reporters that his plan is to resign as the DPK leader on Wednesday to focus on his candidacy.

His critics within the party had attacked him on his legal risk, as he faces 11 criminal charges. But the biggest potential roadblock was largely cleared on March 26 when an appeals court found him not guilty of violating the election law. Although the prosecution appealed the verdict, the Supreme Court is not expected to rule on that charge or any others before the election. If he wins the nation’s highest office, all five trials he is currently facing are expected to be halted, according to many experts.

Yet his plan will inevitably face challenges from within. Kim Doo-kwan, the former governor of South Gyeongsang Province, will become the first DPK politician to announce his intention to run on Monday. This will be his third bid for presidency after having failed in the party’s 2012 and 2021 primaries.

Meanwhile, the PPP faces a far murkier future. There is no clear leader in the pool of potential contenders, with the conservative party remaining divided following Yoon’s impeachment by the National Assembly in December. Many hope a strong antipathy toward Lee, shared widely among party members, will unite the fractured coalition once again.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo speaks during his special lecture on the future of politics in Korea at Seoul National University in Seoul, March 19. He is expected to announce his intention to run for presidency this week. Newsis

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is expected to announce his intention to run. In a social media post Sunday he said he will meet city officials and council members before his resignation this week. The previous day, he said he was ready to demonstrate his vision for his country.

Another PPP contender is Kim Moon-soo, a former labor rights activist who served as labor minister under Yoon. His unwavering support for the former president throughout the impeachment crisis made him a prominent figure among hardline supporters.

Speaking to supporters Saturday, he did not explicitly say he will join the race. But he made it clear that he believes the country was heading “in the wrong direction.”

Han Dong-hoon, left, then leader of the ruling People Power Party, walks with then-President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul in this July 24, 2024, file photo. Yonhap

Perhaps the most formidable challenger to the two PPP contenders would be Han Dong-hoon, who led several PPP lawmakers to vote in favor of impeaching Yoon while serving as the party chief. Before his political rift with Yoon, Han was the most popular figure in the party. Yet it is unclear whether he can overcome the resentment harbored by many hardline conservatives about his decision to join forces to remove Yoon.

In a social media message on Saturday, Han called on all party members to unite, saying he would help “make Korea a better country,” suggesting his intention to join the race.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo and Won Hee-ryong, a former Jeju governor who served as land minister under Yoon, are among other potential contenders believed to be pondering their electoral chances.

Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik proposed Sunday to hold a referendum to amend the Constitution on Election Day, saying it currently concentrates power in the hands of one central figure in the executive branch, which he cited for the downfall of Yoon and former President Park Geun-hye, who was also impeached.

“There have been calls, particularly over the last four months, for amending the Constitution to turn this intense turmoil triggered by the martial law into an opportunity to transform the country,” Woo said. “While we averted an emergency martial law situation that could have torn down everything we have accomplished as a nation, we need a fundamental reform to the system to prevent it from happening ever again.”