South Korea presidential hopefuls make final election pitch to voters
South Korea's Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung (centre) poses with his party members during a presidential election campaign in Seoul, South Korea on Jun 2, 2025. (Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon)
SEOUL: Candidates running in South Korea's snap presidential election stage made a last push for votes on Monday (Jun 2), the eve of a poll triggered by the ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration.
South Koreans are desperate to draw a line under six months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon's brief suspension of civilian rule in December, for which he was impeached and removed from office.
All major polls put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead in the presidential race, with the latest Gallup survey showing 49 per cent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.
Conservative Kim Moon-soo, from the People Power Party (PPP) – Yoon's former party – trailed Lee on 35 per cent.
Both candidates have framed the campaign as a fight for the soul of the nation.
Lee spent much of his final day of campaigning in his old stomping grounds of Gyeonggi Province – where he previously served as governor and built much of his support base.
He then headed to Seoul's Yeouido, to hold his final rally at the site where people gathered to demand disgraced president Yoon be impeached after he attempted to suspend civilian rule in December.
By Monday evening, thousands of Lee's supporters had gathered, waving blue balloons, as K-pop music blasted and vendors sold glo-sticks emblazoned with Lee's beaming face.
"I expect him to win soundly tomorrow. I'm sure he will govern with care for the underprivileged and provide fair and equal opportunities for all," said Jeong Hea-sun, a 59-year-old factory worker.
Lee vowed to mend the social division that deepened in the aftermath of Yoon's martial law, but said his opponent and Yoon's People Power Party must be held accountable, branding them "insurrection sympathisers".
"We are at a historic inflection point of whether we go on as a democratic republic or become a country of dictators," Lee told a campaign rally in the battleground capital.
Conservative Kim began his final campaign push from the southernmost tip of the country, Jeju Island, before making his way north and wrapping up in Seoul's hip Gangnam district where he is set to meet with young voters.
He called Lee a "dangerous man" who would abuse the office of president and the parliament controlled by his Democratic Party in an unchecked manner.
Dominating the headlines of the last day of campaigning are allegations that the Democratic Party fabricated an endorsement of Lee by veteran Singapore-based investor Jim Rogers.
The Democratic Party said on Friday that Rogers described Lee as "a leader who can open a new chapter of peace, prosperity, and global leadership".
But local media quoted him as telling them he had "not endorsed anyone in Korea ever", saying "Mr Lee is making things up".
Rogers did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The conservative candidate once again apologised on Monday for Yoon's martial law and pledged to undertake political reform.
"Martial law was wrong, and there were many other wrongdoings. I promise Korean politics will be different from the past," Kim said at his last rally near Seoul City Hall.
The two leading candidates were scheduled to wrap up three weeks of official campaigning at midnight in Seoul, with polls set to open at 6am (5am, Singapore time) on Tuesday across the country.
The winner, who will be certified on Wednesday, will have just a few short hours before taking office without the usual two-month transition as Yoon was removed by the Constitutional Court on Apr 4 for grave violation of his lawful duties.
"DARK CAMPAIGN"
Despite the controversy, experts say Lee remains the strong favourite to win.
"The presidential race has effectively become a contest between Lee Jae-myung and those rallying against him," Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women's University, told AFP.
"The most recent polls show that Lee has consistently maintained a lead near or just below the majority threshold," she added.
South Korea has entered a so-called "dark campaign period" – meaning the results of public opinion polls are barred from being disclosed although pollsters are still conducting surveys.
Over a third of voters have already cast their ballots, taking advantage of two days of early voting last week, according to the National Election Commission.
The winner of the Jun 3 election takes office the following day on a single five-year term, with no transition period.
