South Korea presidential elections 2025: All you need to know Election news

South Korea voters choose a new president to replace Yun Sok Yol, who has been isolated and It was removed from the office Sweetened and unfortunately Show military law In December.

The sudden elections on June 3 are pivotal, with effects on the democratic future of South Korea, as well as its relations with China, the United States and its nuclear armed neighbor, North Korea.

The winner-who will spend one term for five years-faces the task of addressing the repercussions of the decree in military law, which lasted six hours but unleashed political chaos, including mass protests, riots in court and three temporary leaders in six months.

The new president will also have to address a deep economic shrinkage and manage customs tariff negotiations with the United States, which imposed a 25 percent tax on major exports such as steel, aluminum and cars.

Here is what you need to know about the June 3 poll:

Who are the candidates?

There are six candidates in the poll, but the main competitors are Lee Jay Mong From the Democratic Opposition Party in Korea (DP), and Kim. From the Conservative Conservative Party (PPP).

Who is expected to win?

Li, 61, a human rights lawyer, has turned into a political, is the clear candidate.

A poll in Gallup on May 28 showed that 49 percent of the respondents preferred the liberal candidate, while 36 percent said they would vote for Kim, 73, a strong governor who was the Minister of Labor in the Yun government.

Lee Jun-Seok is in third place of the Conservative New Reform Party, with a 9 percent.

What are the main issues?

The failed Yun show in combat law has cast a shadow over the race.

Lee, who lost the last elections in front of Yoon in 2022, was again on the right track of the presidency.

The opposition leader was effective in thwarting the president’s plan. On December 3, when Yoon declared martial law-in an attempt to cancel the parliament controlled by the Democratic Party, which he portrayed as “hostile to the state” and “criminals’ den”-he rushed me to the National Assembly and climbed the walls of the building to avoid hundreds of armed forces deployed there. He mobilized his exploitation, urged supporters to come to parliament and prevent the arrest of legislators.

Despite the siege of the forces, a sufficient number of legislators managed to reach Parliament and vote to end the martial law. The association went to dismiss Yun on December 14.

“These elections had not occurred if not to declare martial law by Yoon Sok Yol and his isolation,” said Yongchic Pong, a research fellow at Yunusi University in Seoul. “I absorbed these issues in all others like a whirlpool. Everything is marginal.”

On the campaign’s path, I pledged to me to present anyone involved in the failed Yun show and also promised to provide more controls for the president’s ability to declare martial law.

Where the candidates stand in the attempt by martial law

The opposition leader suggested constitutional changes to bringing a four-year-old presidency at the present time, is not allowed for South Korean presidents until five years later. Lee also argued over the surface flow system for the presidential elections, as there is no candidate to rule 50 percent of popular votes, the main candidates take each other in a second round.

“The presidency will allow four years of time to evaluate the mid -term of the administration and enhance responsibility,” he wrote on Facebook, and he calls for a constitutional amendment to enable change. “Meanwhile, the adoption of an election system in the surface flow would enhance the legitimacy of democratic rule and help reduce unnecessary social conflict.”

The Pakistani People’s Party, Kim, accepted my proposals for the constitutional amendment to allow the presidency of two years, but she suggested that each period be shortened to three years.

Nevertheless, Yoon’s Military Law of the Pakistani People’s Party left a crisis chaos.

Infighting was afflicted with the besieged party because he tried to choose the successor of the complex president. Although Kim won the party’s preliminary elections, his leaders tried to replace him with former Prime Minister Han Daco. On the eve of the launch of the party’s campaign, they canceled Kim’s nomination, only to restore it after the party members opposed this step.

Bong, at Yonsei University, said that the division in addition to the divisions in the maintenance camp on the Yun decree cost its support.

“Kim Moon Soo has not clearly put his position in declaring martial law,” Bong said. “He did not predict the legacy of Yoon, but at the same time, he did not explain whether he believed that the declaration of martial law was a violation of the constitution. Therefore, the Pakistani People’s Party did not have enough energy to mobilize the rules of support.”

However, Kim appears to have eroded more than 20 percent of the gap with Lee at the beginning of the campaign.

But he failed to persuade the third competitor-Lee Jun-Seok-to abandon his attempt and support PPP to improve his chances. The 40 -year -old new Reform Party told me that there will be no “candidate integration” with “officials in the emergency fighting law.”

What about foreign policy?

Although political discussions have taken the back seat, the election result can redirect the South Korean approach to North Korea. The neighbors are in a technically war where the Korean war ended from 1950-1953 in the armistice instead of the peace treaty, and the relations between them at the lowest new level.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for rewriting his country’s constitution to abolish the long goal of uniting the intended states of war and describing Seoul as a “mainly enemy.” Pyongyang cut communications lines, and the two countries clashed on balloons and drones carrying garbage and advertising.

He promised me from the Democratic Party to reduce tensions if elected, including by restoring the military hotline, and is committed to maintaining the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula.

However, Kim supported Yun’s hard -line approach, and promised to secure “pre -emptive deterrence” through tools such as ballistic missiles and the re -spread of US tactical nuclear weapons. He said he would also seek a path for the country to follow up on nuclear armaments by securing the right to re -process nuclear fuel, a basic step towards building atomic weapons.

The candidates also differ in their approach to the United States, the most important security ally in the country, and China, its largest commercial partner.

Lee, who adopts what he calls a pragmatic foreign policy, said that it is important to maintain the South Korea alliance with the United States and follow -up security cooperation with Japan. However, he pledged to give priority “national interests” and said that “there is no need to give China or Russia unnecessarily.

Meanwhile, Kim questioned me with a commitment to me the South Korean alliance, and promised to hold an immediate meeting with US President Donald Trump if he was elected to discuss the definitions.

“I have a very friendly relationship and confidence,” Kim said, with the American leader, Kim said.

He has also indicated a willingness to discuss the participation of more costs of the development of American forces in the country, which Trump has requested for years.

Lee Song Yun, a member of the North Korean Human Rights Committee, described the differences in politics between the competing camps as “not subject to change” and pointed to the previous comments by the Democratic Party, because some are seen as soft in China and Russia.

“In the past, Li said that South Korea should not participate in China’s position towards Taiwan, and he only says thanks to Beijing and Taiwan and staying outside the conflict. He said about the tripartite defensive training between the United States and Japan in South Korea as” Korean “. For the invasion because he was a political beginner he said unfortunate.”

The analyst said that, throughout the election campaign, Lee tried to retract some of his statements in an attempt to attract more moderate voters.

However, “I would like to guess that the people sitting in the authority councils in Washington, DC, Tokyo or Kiev, Ukraine are not excessively cheerful in the possibility of managing me.”

When will we know the results?

The Koreans abroad have already made their votes, and early voting took place on Thursday and Friday. Large numbers of people have turned to early vote, including applicants.

According to the National Elections Committee, about 44.4 million people in the country, which numbered 52 million people, are qualified to vote. On Election Day, a public holiday, polling stations will open at 6 am (22:00 GMT) and close at 8 pm (20:00 GMT).

The count will start immediately and the winner of that evening or in the early hours of the next day will be known. The candidate who receives the largest number of votes is the winner, even if he does not win 50 percent of the vote.