South Korea presidential election: Candidates, big issues, controversies… A complete guide

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29-05-2025

South Koreans are turning out in record numbers for early voting today in the country's snap presidential election set to take place on 3 June. The election comes in the aftermath of the worst political turmoil in decades. Here's everything you need to know about the South Korean election read more
Lee Jae-myung (2nd R), the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, casts his early vote for the upcoming presidential election at a polling station in Seoul as the Presedential elections on May 29, 2025. AFP
South Koreans are turning out in record numbers for early voting today
The country is set to hold a snap presidential election on June 3.
The development comes in the aftermath of the country witnessing its worst political turmoil in decades.
South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office in June .
That came after the country's Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment by parliament for attempting to impose martial law.
It also comes in the backdrop of the tumultuous relationship between South Korea and the United States under the presidency of Donald Trump.
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But what do we know about the South Korean election? Who are the candidates?
What are the big issues? What about the controversies?
Let's take a closer look
What do we know?
South Korea's election is quite straightforward.
There is just one round of voting. The person who gets the most votes is declared the winner.
Unlike India, which has a British-style parliamentary system, South Korea has a presidential system – the voters directly elect the president.
The country of 51.7 million people has 44.39 million eligible voters.
Women comprise just over half, 50.05 per cent, of the eligible voters.
South Korea is one of the world's fastest aging societies.
Little surprise than that voters over 60 comprise around a third of the electorate.
That's far higher than those in the 20s and 30s who comprise just a 28 per cent share.
Most voters hail from Gyeonggi Province (26.4 per cent,) followed by Seoul at (18.7 per cent) and Busan at (6.5 per cent).
A total of 205,268 people overseas voted between May 20 and 25 in 118 countries, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).
There are six candidates left – all of whom are men.
The three main candidates are Lee Jae-myung of the opposition Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party and New Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok.
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As per BBC, Lee and Yoon previously collided in the 2022 election in which the latter prevailed in a close-run contest.
Lee's supporters consider him a working-class hero. Lee previously worked in a factory before switching to becoming a human rights and then taking a plunge into politics.
Lee has vowed to create a 'real Republic of Korea' – promising jobs and a fair society.
According to CNA, while Lee earlier compared himself to Bernie Sanders in the US, he has become a much more centrist candidate since the last election.
Lee is a strident opponent of Yoon.
Lee used his parliamentary majorities to stymie Yoon's agenda.
He also let the impeachment charge against Yoon after he attempted to impose martial law.
As per BBC, Kim is a former labour minister.
While he too has vowed to boost the economy – pitching himself as good for business – he may be hampered by the fact that he belongs to the same party as Yoon.
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As per CNA, Kim won the support from the PPP base after opposing Yoon's impeachment.
Former labour minister Kim Moon-soo (R) celebrates next to ex-party chief Han Dong-hoon after winning the final race to choose South Korea's conservative People Power Party's (PPP) candidate for the upcoming presidential election. AFP
This, even as the power brokers would have preferred a more centrist alternative.
Kim will need to expand his voter base if he stands any shot.
However, Yoon's departure from the party will no doubt help matters for Kim.
Kim was jailed in the 1980s for leading a pro-democracy movement – which may play in his favour.
While Kim has sought to distance himself from Yoon, he has kept those close to Yoon on his campaign team.
He has also reached out to Park for support.
As per CNA, Lee Jun-seok is a former PPP leader.
The New Reform Party is a relatively new right-wing outfit.
Lee Jun-seok could hurt the chances of the PPP candidate.
He has been far more strident on Yoon's actions – and more importantly has refused to make an alliance with Kim.
Lee Jun-seok has consistently sought to paint his opponents as establishment men who unqualified to lead South Korea.
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He has made his pitch to younger voters.
But even Kim and Lee Jun-seok joining hands may not be enough to stymie Lee.
Data show Lee is the clear frontrunner followed by Kim, while Lee Jun-seok is a distant third.
A recent gall Gallup poll shows Lee being supported by 49 per cent of respondents.
Kim had the backing of 35 per cent, while Lee Jun-seok was at just 11 per cent.
Kwon Young-guk of the Democratic Labor Party and two Independents Hwang Kyo-ahn and Song Jin- ho are also running.
However, they have virtually no chance of winning.
According to the country's election commission, this is the first time since 2007 that there are no women candidates for president.
As per BBC, South Korea got its first woman candidate for president in 1987.
However, the woman, Hong Suk-Ja dropped out before the vote.
Four women candidates contested for president in 2012.
But South Korea has had just one woman president in its history – Park Geun-hye.
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Park's reign did not end well.
According to BBC, Park was ousted from office over a corruption scandal.
What are the big issues?
The economy, the birth rate, Donald Trump's tariffs and with North Korea remain the major issues.
According to CNA, South Korea's economy dipped in the first quarter of 2025.
Increasing growth and spurring consumer sentiments will be on the top of the agenda for whomever succeeds Yoon.
Then there is the matter of dealing with Trump's tariffs – which would involve reaching a bilateral trade deal with the US.
The US President has imposed a 25 per cent levy on South Korea.
South Korea is uniquely manageable to Trump's tariffs given that exports account for 40 per cent of its GDP.
A man uses his phone as he looks at a monitor displaying the benchmark Kospi index in Seoul on April 7. South Korean stocks tumbled over five per cent as Asian markets sank and US futures signaled steep Wall Street losses, driven by Donald Trump's harsh tariffs. AFP
Affordable housing and creating more jobs are also top of the list.
Polls show that people also want a shared sense of national unity restored.
Foreign policy is also important to voters – given the fact that North Korea is the belligerent next door neighbour and getting even closer to Russia.
Constitutional reform is also another issue voters are concerned about – however, this may prove to be a tall order for whomever succeeds Yoon.
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The country's birth rate of .75, among the lowest in the world, also continues to be cause for alarm.
What about the controversies?
According to The Conversation, Lee is facing legal troubles.
Lee in 2024 was convicted for violating election law – and thus from competing for the presidency for five years.
However, in March, an appeals court overturned the lower court's decision.
This allowed Lee to campaign for the presidency.
The country Supreme Court has overturned the verdict and sent it back down to the appeal's court.
Lee's campaign has said that there should be no problem if he wins given that South Korea's presidents are legally immune from prosecution – unless the charge is treason.
However, experts say South Korea's Constitution is vague when it comes to such a matter.
Experts say South Korea is currently pervaded by a climate of distrust.
The spectre of Yoon continues to hangover the election.
Yoon Suk Yeol attends his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea. Reuters
According to BBC, well the PPP has apologised to the public for the attempted coup, Yoon remains defiant.
Yoon has continued to insist that communist forces have pervaded through South Korea's institutions and that he is a victim of a witch hunt.
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His claims have found an audience with thousands of people taking to the streets to protest Yoon's treatment.
A recent poll showed more than a third of people did not trust the Constitution Court's judgment on Yoon.
Yoon is facing a charge of insurrection for declaring martial law.
He has quit his party in order to boost its candidate's chances, as per BBC.
South Korea's acting President Lee Ju-ho said on Monday the government was 'transparently disclosing the entire process of the presidential election', according to his office.
The National Election Commission will air CCTV surveillance footage of rooms storing ballots from early voting, with their entrances sealed before counting starts and transported ballots given police escorts, Lee said.
What happens after the votes are cast?
After votes are cast, ballots will be initially sorted by machines and then election workers will count them, the NEC said.
The official election campaign is relatively short in South Korea in a bid to contain costs. It started on May 12.
There are 3,568 polling stations across the country open for early voting that will be allowed between May 29-30.
Election day on June 3 is a public holiday.
Voting will run from 6 am until 8 pm with an indication of the results likely to start emerging that evening or early the next day.
On June 4, the National Election Commission is expected to verify the results and the inauguration of the new president will be held.
With inputs from agencies