SOUL: South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung announced his bid for the presidency Thursday, pledging to tackle economic inequality and stimulate growth.
Lee stepped down Wednesday from his Democratic Party (DP) chairmanship to run for president in elections scheduled for June 3, which were triggered by the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.
In a video released Thursday, Lee, the front-runner in opinion polls to be the country’s next leader, pledged to fix economic polarization that he said was a key source of social conflict, which he felt had exacerbated the recent political turmoil in the country following Yoon’s martial law declaration.
Considering himself a pragmatist, he said he would drive large-scale investments at the government level in technology and talent development to resuscitate economic growth.
Lee was elected chairman of the DP after losing the presidential race by a slim margin to Yoon in 2022. He led his party to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election in April last year.
Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), also announced his presidential bid and vowed to defeat Lee.
Han, a former prosecutor who was previously considered one of Yoon’s closest confidants, opposed Yoon’s martial law declaration in December immediately after it was announced.
He led a group of PPP lawmakers to vote to reject the martial law decree at the National Assembly.
Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, a popular conservative politician, has also announced to run in the elections.
Meanwhile, Ahn Cheol-soo, a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, has announced his presidential candidacy in the party’s nomination race for a snap election.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, affiliated with the main opposition Democratic Party, has also announced his bid for the polls.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is also expected to announce his bid for the top slot in the coming days.
