SEOUL, April 8 (UPI) — South Korea will vote for a new president in a snap election on June 3, its acting president announced Tuesday, as the country works to recover from a martial law crisis that led to the impeachment of ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon’s impeachment was upheld by the Constitutional Court on Friday over his short-lived declaration of martial law in December. Under South Korean law, an election must be held within 60 days of a leader’s removal from office.
The June 3 date reflects the maximum allotted time in order to enable “the smooth execution of legal affairs necessary for election management and the preparation period of each political party,” acting President Han Duck-soo said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Han apologized to the South Korean public for their “confusion and concern” over the four-month struggle of Yoon’s impeachment process, and praised their restrained reaction to the court’s decision.
“Fortunately, the majority of wise citizens have accepted the results of the constitutional order and have demonstrated their mature democratic capabilities,” Han said. “Now, we must heal the wounds and aftereffects as soon as possible and gather national energy to help the Republic of Korea rise again and leap forward.”
Yoon, a 64-year-old former prosecutor, was impeached on Dec. 14 by the National Assembly over his shocking declaration of martial law earlier in the month.
After the Constitutional Court heard final arguments of a lengthy trial at the end of February, a drawn-out deliberation process sparked massive rallies on both sides of the deeply divisive issue.
Police were at their highest alert level ahead of the court’s decision Friday, completely sealing off a 500-foot radius around the courthouse, while nearby schools and tourist attractions closed for the day.
However, fears of public unrest were eased as crowds dispersed quickly after the verdict was announced. A survey by pollster Realmeter released on Monday found that 76.9% of respondents said they accepted the court’s ruling.
Candidates for the election must register by May 11 and the official campaign period will kick off one day later, news agency Yonhap reported.
Opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is the strong frontrunner, with 49.5% of respondents calling him the most suitable candidate for president in a poll released last week by Realmeter.
Lee, who lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election by a razor-thin margin, is facing legal troubles of his own. Last month, a court overturned his conviction on an election law violation, but he is still facing criminal trials on charges including bribery and corruption.
Yoon’s ruling People Power Party will hold a primary to field a candidate, with potential contenders including Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.
Han will remain in office as acting president until the election, which comes amid major domestic and international challenges including the 25% “reciprocal” tariffs on South Korean goods announced by U.S. President Donald Trump last week.
Seoul aims to negotiate with the United States to minimize the impact of tariffs on key export industries including steel and automobiles, Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Tuesday as he headed to Washington for talks.
