South Korea’s presidential front runner Lee Jae-myung enters leadership race

SEOUL – South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is the front runner in opinion polls to be the country’s next leader, declared his bid for the presidency on April 10, promising to fix inequality and spur economic growth.

The presidential election will be held on June 3

, after the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol for his December martial law declaration was upheld on April 4.

In a video released on April 10, Lee pledged to fix economic polarisation that he said was a key source of social conflict, highlighting how he felt this had exacerbated the recent political turmoil in the wake of Yoon’s martial law order.

He vowed to drive large-scale investments at the government level in technology and talent development to resuscitate economic growth.

Conservative critics have warned that a return to power by the opposition could undermine the alliance with the United States and threaten improved ties with Japan, but Lee proposed a pragmatic approach to diplomacy.

“Realistically speaking, the South Korea-US alliance is important, and South Korea, US and Japan cooperation is important. Within that, the consistent principle is the national interest of the Republic of Korea is the top priority,” Lee said.

A new South Korean leader will likely face the daunting task of negotiating with the US, the country’s leading security ally, over tariffs that have cast a cloud over the export-reliant economy.

Lee, 61, lost by the slimmest margin in the country’s history when he ran against Yoon in the 2022 presidential election.

But in 2024, he led his liberal Democratic Party to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, and enjoys strong support from liberal voters.

On April 9,

Lee stepped down as leader of the main opposition party

, preparing to switch gears to focus on his election campaign.

A Gallup poll announced on April 4 put Lee as the favourite to become the next president with 34 per cent support, versus 9 per cent for the top conservative contender, 73-year-old former labour minister Kim Moon-soo.

The conservatives have a wide-open presidential field. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) plans to confirm its candidate through a primary in May.

Mr Han Dong-hoon, a former PPP leader, also said on April 10 he was running for president, joining a growing group of potential and declared candidates that includes Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and ruling party member Ahn Cheol-soo.

More hopefuls are expected to join, but so far, apart from Lee, the field has polled single-digit public support in surveys.

Mr Han was previously a justice minister close to ousted leader Yoon and entered politics in late 2023, but their ties soured after he backed Yoon’s impeachment.

Meanwhile, Lee still faces legal uncertainties that could affect his candidacy.

He is on trial for charges ranging from alleged bribery to involvement in a US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) property development scandal. Prosecutors have also appealed against a court’s decision in March to overturn Lee’s guilty verdict on election law violations.

It is unclear if any of the ongoing court cases will present a roadblock to Lee’s presidential bid.

In January 2024, Lee survived a knife attack and underwent surgery when he was stabbed in the neck by a man during an event. REUTERS