South Korea Sets June 3 For Snap Election After Removal Of Yoon From Office (image @hrw)
Seoul, South Korea: South Korea sets a snap election on June 3, following the downfall of President Yoon Suk Yeol after his martial law stunt in last December. The impeached President was removed from the office last week. The power vacuum at the apex has impeded the country’s efforts to negotiate with US President Donald Trump’s new tariff slap.
South Korea, a key US ally, and fourth largest economy of Asia, plunged to political turmoil when Yoon declared martial law on December last year. The decree only lasted for six hours, as lawmakers pushed past barricades around the parliament and voted against it. The new election would reshape the country’s foreign and domestic policies.
Pointing at factors like the time the political parties needed to prepare for the election, acting President Han Duck-soo told a cabinet meeting, “The government intends to designate June 3 as the 21st presidential election day.”
Also Read: South Korean Court Rules Removal Of Yoon Suk Yeol From Office
Former President Yoon’s labour minister Kim Moon-soo is among a handful of hopefuls who have signalled their intention to run. He resigned his post on Tuesday and said that he would launch his campaign. “I tendered my resignation and decided to run because the people want it, people I know want it, and I feel a sense of responsibility to solve national difficulties,” Kim told reporters.
By saying that the economic conditions during a “severe national crisis” are hurting people’s livelihood, he said “all politicians and people should unite to overcome the crisis and work together to help the country develop further.”
Apart from Kim, Ahn Cheol-soo, another lawmaker from Yoon’s party was among first to vote for Yoon’s impeachment, also announced intention to run on Tuesday, saying he was a “cleaner candidate than anyone else”.
Also Read: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested
Ahn vowed to secure new economic growth engines including Artificial Intelligence to keep up with Trump’s trade policies. He contested during the last three presidential elections. He won more than 21% of the popular vote in 2017. However, he had to drop out and endorse for other candidates during the other two elections.
The populist leader of the liberal Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, lost to Yoon on razor thin margin last election. While he appears to be the clear front-runner, he faces legal challenges of his own, including multiple trials for charges such as violating the election law and bribery. He is expected to step down as the party leader and announce his candidacy soon.
(With inputs from agencies)
