Election campaigning kicks off in South Korea

SEOUL – Candidates vying to lead South Korea kicked off their official campaigns on May 12 ahead of a snap presidential election to replace the country’s impeached former leader, who had been removed over a thwarted martial law bid.

On June 3,

South Korean voters will pick a new president,

offering closure after months of political turmoil triggered by Yoon Suk Yeol’s ill-fated attempt to suspend civilian rule in December.

For 22 days from May 12, the six officially registered presidential candidates will campaign across the country, accompanied by ear-splitting blasts of rewritten K-pop songs, with uniformed campaign staff performing choreographed dance moves.

The front runner by a large margin, polls show, is main opposition Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, with 43 per cent support.

Hundreds of supporters gathered in central Seoul early on May 12 chanting “Lee Jae-myung, President!” as Lee officially kicked off his campaign.

Lee, who narrowly lost in the 2022 presidential election to Yoon, thanked his supporters who he said “helped rebuild after the painful defeat”.

“I promise to repay their support with victory,” he told a cheering crowd.

After a chaotic few days of party infighting, the country’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) said on May 11 that former labour minister Kim Moon-soo would be its official candidate.

Mr Kim, who is polling at around 29 per cent support, according to most recent data, started his official campaign at a local market in Seoul.

“I genuinely believe I must become a president for the people, a president for livelihoods, a president for the economy,” Mr Kim told reporters on the morning of May 12. “I must be a president who ensures the people of South Korea live well.”

Self-destruction

Mr Kim was picked by the party on May 3, only to have his nomination cancelled a week later as party bigwigs sought to replace him with former prime minister Han Duck-soo, who was seen as a stronger bet.

However, the party’s rank and file voted down the motion, meaning Mr Kim was reinstated as the nominee by the night of May 10.

The turmoil has resulted in experts and PPP supporters warning that unless the party gets its act together, it will be an easy victory for Lee in the upcoming elections.

“The PPP is just a mess. They are just self-destructing,” Mr Lee Jung-ja, a 52-year-old self-described PPP voter told AFP, as he watched Lee kick off his campaign in downtown Seoul.

“Even if they unite, it still won’t be enough. All they’re doing is fighting with each other. I bet Lee Jae-myung is gloating.”

Experts believe the conservatives’ internal chaos has weakened their chances in the election, a contest where they were already at a significant disadvantage.

Political science professor Kang Won-taek from Seoul National University said: “The upcoming election is likely to become a battle between Lee Jae-myung and those opposing him.

“The problem, however, is that the opposing side, specifically the conservative camp, seems to be greatly divided.”

The fact that both the last PPP presidents – Park Geun-hye and most recently Yoon – were impeached “reflects a broader crisis” in the party, Professor Kang said.

The upcoming election may show that the conservative party “no longer seems sustainable in its current form”. AFP