Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: US vetoes UNSC draft resolution that would have demanded ceasefire in Gaza, lifting of restrictions on aid.
Reports of explosions at Hama military airport in Syria
Shamkhani to Al Mayadeen: There is no mention of lifting sanctions in the latest US proposal, even though this issue is fundamental for Iran
Ali Shamkhani, political advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Al Mayadeen: After receiving the American proposal, we are now preparing our new proposal
Shamkhani to Al Mayadeen: Iran will never give up its inherent rights
Iranian Defense Minister to Al Mayadeen: Israeli threats to Iran are just pointless nonsense
Iranian Defense Minister to Al Mayadeen: Those who actually possess the power and ability to threaten Iran do not speak as such; they are simply incapable of doing so
Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh to Al Mayadeen: Iran possesses enough power to render 'Israel' incapable of threatening it
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem after meeting with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi emphasized the importance of Iran’s positive role in the region and its support for the Palestinian Resistance and its people
Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi after meeting with Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem: Iran is keen to assist Lebanon and stand by its side economically and politically, on the basis of mutual respect

South Korea votes for new president amid martial law turmoil

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 3 Jun 2025 10:01
4 Min Read

South Koreans headed to the polls Tuesday for the 2025 presidential election, seeking stability after Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration.

Listen
  • x
  • A man casts his vote for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 3, 2025 (AP)
    A man casts his vote for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)

South Koreans went to the polls for a new president on Tuesday after six months of turmoil sparked by ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's brief, shocking martial law declaration, which damaged the country and created an unstable political environment.

Voter turnout is anticipated to be strong, with polling stations open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, following early voting in which over a third of the 44.39 million eligible voters already participated. By 11:00 am, 8.1 million voters, just over 18% of the electorate, had cast ballots across 14,295 polling stations nationwide, the National Election Commission reported.

The leading candidates concluded three weeks of intense nationwide campaigning late Monday, traversing the country before gathering in Seoul for their final rallies, where they pledged to move past months of political upheaval and revitalize the struggling economy.

Candidates promise change through different approaches

Liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung and conservative rival Kim Moon-soo have both campaigned on promises of transformative change, arguing that South Korea's current political system and economic framework, established during its transition to democracy and industrial growth, are now outdated and inadequate for the nation's needs.

While both candidates share similar visions for investing in innovation and technology, Lee Jae-myung emphasizes greater economic equity and support for middle-to-low-income households, whereas Kim Moon-soo focuses on deregulation and reducing labor conflicts to empower businesses.

Related News

South Korea's former president denies insurrection in criminal trial

Yoon's martial law looms over the polls

Lee has framed the election as a "judgment day" against Kim and the People Power Party, accusing them of failing to sufficiently oppose the martial law attempt and even attempting to preserve Yoon's presidency through their inaction.

Kim has countered by labeling Lee a "dictator" and his Democratic Party a "monster," arguing that if the former human rights lawyer wins the presidency, his administration would recklessly rewrite laws solely based on ideological preferences without proper checks.

Seoul voters expressed hope that the next president would heal political divisions, bring stability, and tackle the real-world consequences of recent martial law turmoil that have directly impacted their daily lives and families.

An 81-year-old voter, Kim Kwang-ma, told Reuters that economic conditions had deteriorated significantly since December 3, a sentiment he said was widely shared, and expressed concern over deepening societal divisions, voicing hope for national unity to reignite South Korea's progress.

Polls show Lee in the lead

Polls released a week before the election showed Lee as the favored candidate, holding a 14-point lead over Kim with 49% public support in a Gallup Korea survey, though Kim had managed to close what had initially been an even larger gap since the campaign began on May 12.

Three major television networks will release exit polls when voting concludes at 8 pm, after which ballots will undergo machine counting followed by a rigorous triple-verification process conducted manually by election officials to ensure accuracy.

The timing of the final result remains uncertain, though in the 2022 presidential election, which was decided by a historic margin of less than 1 percentage point, Lee conceded to Yoon around 3 am the following day in what was South Korea's closest ever presidential race.

The National Election Commission plans to certify the election result on Wednesday, with the winner expected to be inaugurated within hours, bypassing the usual presidential transition period since the office has been vacant since April 4, when parliament impeached Yoon and the Constitutional Court subsequently removed him from power.

  • South Korea martial law
  • South Korea snap elections
  • Kim Moon-soo
  • Lee Jae-myung
  • Yoon Suk-Yeol
  • South Korea

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Patrice Lumumba: The national hero of the DR Congo
Politics

Patrice Lumumba: The national hero of the DR Congo

A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)
Politics

French port workers block arms shipment to 'Israel' amid Gaza genocide

AP
Politics

Shas party backs Knesset dissolution, Netanyahu's coalition at risk

The head of the Council of Ministers, Dr. Nawaf Salam, received a delegation from the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc at the Grand Serail.  (@grandserail)
Politics

Hezbollah bloc, PM Salam discuss reconstruction, national unity

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS