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Lee Jae-myung Secures Democratic Nomination for South Korea’s Snap Presidential Election

The opposition leader, leading polls by double digits, prepares for the June 3 vote while facing legal challenges and a polarized political landscape.

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party's former leader Lee Jae-myung celebrates after winning the nomination as the June 3 presidential election candidate during a party's convention in Goyang, South Korea, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party’s former leader Lee Jae-myung delivers his speech during a party’s convention in Goyang, South Korea Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party’s former leader Lee Jae-myung, front center, attends a party’s convention in Goyang, South Korea Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party's former leader Lee Jae-myung delivers his speech after winning the nomination as the June 3 presidential election candidate during a party's convention in Goyang, South Korea, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Overview

  • Lee Jae-myung was officially named the Democratic Party of Korea’s candidate for the June 3, 2025, snap presidential election following his primary victory.
  • He maintains a significant lead in opinion polls over potential rivals from the conservative People Power Party, which will announce its candidate on May 3.
  • Lee’s political career includes a narrow loss in the 2022 presidential election and leading his party to a 2024 parliamentary landslide victory.
  • Legal hurdles persist as the Supreme Court deliberates on his election law acquittal, alongside ongoing trials related to bribery and a high-profile property development scandal.
  • The election comes in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over a controversial martial law declaration, intensifying South Korea’s political divisions.