• Five contenders are hoping to claim the top office, but experts say the main competition remains between Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party

ISTANBUL

South Koreans will head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president after months of political instability in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s dramatic removal from office for attempting to impose martial law last December.

Under ordinary circumstances, South Koreans would not be voting for a new president until 2027, since Yoon’s five-year term would have continued after he was elected in 2022.

But on Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon shocked the nation by declaring martial law. His decision, widely viewed as politically motivated, triggered mass protests and parliament voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.

On April 4, 2025, the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment while noting that his martial law bid "did not meet the legal requirement for a national crisis," formally removing him from power and triggering a snap election within 60 days, as required by the South Korean constitution.

Yoon now faces multiple legal battles, including a trial for insurrection. He was the first sitting South Korean president ever arrested while in office. Although released on a technicality, he remains indicted for abuse of power.

Since then, the acting presidency has seen a rapid succession of interim leaders. Most recently, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho has taken the reins following the impeachment of two previous acting presidents.

Who are the contenders?

Currently, there are five contenders hoping to claim the country's top office, but the real competition remains between the top two candidates -- Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party.

Lee Jae-myung, a left-leaning populist and former human rights lawyer, is leading the polls with nearly 50% support. He narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon.

His campaign focuses on job creation, social justice and restoring democratic stability, but he was under scrutiny for allegations of corruption.

Kim Moon-soo, with nearly 37% support, is a conservative figure who pledges to rebuild economic confidence. However, his campaign has struggled to distance itself from the scandal-ridden legacy of Yoon, who formally left the ruling party on May 16.

Apart from the top two, there are three other contenders, one of which is Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party, with around 10% support. There is also Kwon Young-guk from the Democratic Labor Party and one independent candidate, Song Jin-ho.

Hwang Kyo-ahn, another independent candidate, decided Sunday to quit the presidential race in order to back Kim Moon-soo.

How will the voting process go?

Voting in the June 3 elections is scheduled to run from 6 am local time (2100GMT June 2) to 8 pm local time (1100GMT June 3), with all citizens 18 or older being eligible to cast ballots.

Exit polls will be released immediately after voting ends. The final results are expected overnight, with the winner likely declared in the early hours of June 4.

The new president will take office immediately, which is a unique feature of snap elections, and will likely be inaugurated the same day, beginning their five-year term without a traditional transition period.

On Friday, early voting for South Korea's presidential election concluded with the second-highest turnout rate of 34.74% since it was launched in 2014.

What are the main issues for voters?

Yoon's declaration of martial law exposed the stark political rift within the nation, as both supporters and opponents of his decision flooded the streets in protest. Voters are looking for leadership that can stabilize the government.

In the aftermath, months of instability eroded public trust in South Korea’s economy, coinciding with a turbulent period when US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on trade partners, including a 25% duty on South Korean exports. In response, the candidates have pledged support for key industries, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and technology.

The foreign relations of South Korea also remain a concern, as the new president will have to navigate tense relations with North Korea, a shifting US alliance under Trump, and a delicate economic relationship with China.

Adding to the challenge is the urgent need to reverse the country's plummeting birth rate, which was just 0.72 children per woman in 2023, ranking among the lowest globally. The Asian country became a "super-aged" nation in late 2023, with 20% of its population aged 65 or older, and it continues to face challenges linked to its aging population.

What next for South Korea?

With a new president to be inaugurated amid political, economic, social, and international challenges, experts believe that the frontrunner candidate, Lee Jae-myung, will claim victory.

“I expect the Democratic Party candidate to win the election, and the new president would move away from the ideologically driven foreign relations stance taken by the previous administration and take a much more pragmatic approach,” Cho Hee-kyoung, a professor at Hongik University in Seoul, told Anadolu.

“He will try to normalize relations with North Korea, restore the cordial relations with China, and relocate our backbone when dealing with the US,” she said.

“The incident showed us that despite the remarkable progress made by Korea's democracy, there are weak links and holes in our democratic institutions and institutional practices that need reform,” Cho said, regarding former President Yoon's attempt to impose martial law.

“This election also finally identifies the proper ontology of the two main parties in Korea, which will help to lay a healthier foundation of political culture and practice in the future and make room for real progressive politics.

“In a way, this will be the election that finally draws to a close the Cold War politics in Korea,” she added.