South Korea Heads For High-Stake Elections On June 3

The presidential election in South Korea was slated for 2027. But snap polls are being held two years ahead of schedule, thanks to the ambitions of one man and the people’s determination to fight for the country’s hard-earned democracy.

Last December, when President Yoon Suk Yeol, decided to impose martial law close to midnight, he was confident he could carry out the midnight coup on a sleeping nation. But he was in for a rude awakening—he was not just impeached and removed from office but forced to spend nearly two months in a Seoul prison. The case against the former President for insurrection and subversion of the South Korean Constitution is on and, if convicted, he could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

 The June 3 poll is taking place after a period of political instability and at a time when world trade is being disrupted by the policies announced by US President Donald Trump. A period of calm and political stability is a must for the country to concentrate on its economy. Voters are well aware of this. But South Korea’s democracy and freedom are at stake in these elections. The political climate remains tense and citizens are determined to ensure that no future president would have the temerity to attempt subverting the Constitution.  

Democracy Is Non-Negotiable

Young South Koreans believe that this is the most consequential presidential election to date, coming as it does after an attempted coup by an elected politician to get the army’s backing to rule under martial law. Voter turnout is expected to be high, especially among young people, many born into democracy that they fear is under threat. For the older generation, Yoon’s attempts have triggered painful memories of dictatorship and galvanized a new generation to defend what their parents and grandparents fought for.

Opinion Polls

A recent Gallup Korea poll has placed Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party as the front runner with 49 per cent public support, followed by his main conservative rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party with 35 per cent and another conservative candidate, New Reform Party’s Lee Jun-seok, on 11 per cent. There are three other candidates who have little chance of making it.

 Lee is expected to win the elections. He is regarded as a working-class hero, who rose from the ranks. He began life as a factory worker and later became a human rights lawyer and a political leader. He has promised to work towards a fair equitable society, where the Constitution is paramount and human rights respected.

 Lee’s closest rival, Kim Moon-soo, is from the Conservative People Power Party, but his chances have been ruined by his predecessor’s attempted coup. Kim was a former labour minister and has promised his supporters a thriving economy and a pro-business environment.

Korea’s Struggle Against Military Rule  

That long history of struggle makes the recent attempt by President Soo to suspend elections and impose martial law especially provocative. The country’s democratic awakening came in 1987, when massive pro-democracy protests—sparked by the death of a student activist under police torture—forced the ruling regime to allow free elections. This ushered in the Sixth Republic, South Korea’s current constitutional system.

It all began last December, when President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed his nation and warned of the dangers of a Communist threat and thrashed the opposition Democratic Party for what he termed as “anti-state activities”. And collaborating with North Korea in a hurriedly-convened session of the National Assembly (the country’s Parliament), Yoon was able to get his loyalists to vote for martial law. But the President obviously did not have his ear to the ground or the people’s passion for democracy. In the chill of Seoul winter, citizens flocked to the National Assembly to call on lawmakers not to subvert the Constitution. Martial law was lifted in six hours’ time. But Yoon had to pay a heavy price.

The backlash was swift and relentless. Within days, President Soo was forced to resign under mounting public pressure and global scrutiny. His exit marked a dramatic turning point in a country that once lived under the shadow of military dictatorships but has since emerged as a beacon of democratic resilience in Asia.