With just two days remaining until South Korea’s high-stakes snap presidential election on June 3, the country’s top candidates held major campaign rallies on Sunday, aiming to solidify support in the wake of a political crisis that toppled the previous administration.
The election was triggered by the dramatic impeachment and removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, following widespread backlash over his brief imposition of martial law in December. The controversial move plunged the country into months of political unrest, culminating in the snap vote.
Liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung continues to lead the race by a wide margin. According to the latest Gallup Korea poll, 49% of respondents identified Lee as the most suitable candidate for the presidency. His conservative opponent, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP)—Yoon’s former party—trailed behind at 35%.
Lee, 60, launched Sunday’s rally in his hometown of Andong, located approximately 240 kilometers (149 miles) southeast of Seoul. Emphasizing regional development, Lee pledged to shift focus away from the capital and toward the country’s neglected non-Seoul areas.
> “We should not simply seek a regional equal development strategy but rather provide more incentives for non-Seoul regions to support them more,” Lee told his supporters, wearing a bullet-proof vest amid tight security.
His heightened security measures reflect ongoing concerns after a January 2024 assassination attempt, when Lee was stabbed in the neck in Busan by a man posing as a supporter. The attacker later admitted he intended to kill Lee to prevent him from winning the presidency. In response, Lee’s campaign has added bulletproof shields around his podium during public appearances.
Later on Sunday, Lee was scheduled to return to Busan, the scene of the attack, to continue his campaign.
Meanwhile, Kim Moon-soo focused his Sunday efforts in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, beginning with a rally in Suwon. There, he mocked Lee’s use of security measures, suggesting they symbolized authoritarian tendencies.
> “Look, I’m not wearing a bulletproof vest, right? But Lee is now even using bulletproof shields, feeling the vest isn’t enough,” Kim said.
“With such bulletproof measures, Lee is poised to impose his own dictatorship and we must stop it.”
As of Sunday, the National Election Commission reported that nearly 35% of eligible voters had already cast their ballots during the early voting period held last week.
The outcome of Tuesday’s election is expected to mark a major turning point for South Korea, potentially redefining the nation’s democratic trajectory in the wake of a constitutional crisis.
