South Korea announces date for presidential election

South Korea has set the date for its upcoming presidential election. The vote has officially been scheduled for June 3, Reuters reports.

"The government intends to designate June 3 as the 21st presidential election day," said Acting President Han Duck-soo during a cabinet meeting.

According to Reuters, the following individuals will run for president:

- Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, who has resigned and already officially announced his intention to run;

- Lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who was the first to support the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol. He promised to ensure economic growth for the country, as well as new drivers in the field of artificial intelligence to counter US trade policy;

Also among the candidates may be the leader of the liberal Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, who lost to Yoon by a razor-thin margin in 2022. He is currently facing legal troubles, but is expected to step down as party leader and announce his candidacy later this week.

Case of South Korean president

In December 2024, Yoon declared martial law in the country in an attempt to eliminate the dominance of opposition political forces in parliament, particularly the Democratic Party. Although the measure lasted for about six hours, it marked the beginning of a political crisis in South Korea. Following this, a South Korean president was accused of treason. He was also suspended from the presidency. Later in December, the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him.