South Korea's main opposition party demands snap presidential election date

ANKARA

South Korea's main opposition party on Sunday demanded the acting president to announce the date of a snap presidential election, following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Yonhap news reported.

Addressing a news conference at the National Assembly in the capital Seoul, Kim Yoon-deok, the Democratic Party secretary-general, said acting President Han Duck-soo "should swiftly announce the date of the presidential election and declare his political neutrality."

Kim made the call two days after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon's impeachment, removing him from office over his martial law declaration in December.

By law, South Korea should hold a snap presidential election within 60 days of the court's decision.

Han is likely to hold a Cabinet meeting this week to set the election schedule, with June 3 emerging as the most likely date.

"A clear punishment should be handed down (to Yoon) to prevent an attempt to overthrow the democratic system in an unconstitutional and unlawful manner as well as by force, and to take away the people's lives and sovereign rights," Kim said.

Rival parties are already gearing up for the upcoming election to secure swaying voters amid deeply divided public sentiment over Yoon's impeachment.

DP leader Lee Jae-myung is likely to step down from party chairmanship next week to contest the election.

Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 election, has been leading in early polls despite his own legal troubles.

*Writing by Aamir Latif