Grandstands set up in the heart of Seoul made it clear: South Korea was ready to celebrate the winner of the presidential election on Tuesday, June 3. But the attention to detail in the preparations could not hide the lack of conviction among the 44.3 million voters called to elect a successor to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol (2022-2025), who was removed from office on April 4.

Seven candidates – all men, a first since 2007 – are vying in this single-round election. The Democratic Party (PD, opposition) standard-bearer, Lee Jae-myung, leads with nearly 50% of voting intentions, well ahead of the People Power Party (PPP, conservative) candidate Kim Moon-soo, polling at almost 39%. The controversial Lee Jun-seok, also conservative, has 10% support.

Lee Jae-myung, valued for his working-class background, is a former human rights lawyer and was an unsuccessful challenger to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election; he has since shifted from his earlier radicalism to a more pragmatic approach. The Democrat pledged to create a "true Republic of Korea" with jobs and a fair society. On June 1, he held the final rally of his campaign in his hometown of Andong, 190 kilometers Southeast of Seoul, before meeting voters in Gyeongsang Province, a conservative stronghold. His final message was directed at veterans. "I will make independence, national defense and democracy the three pillars of our support for veterans, so they can be better recognized and respected as they deserve."

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