South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung announced his presidential run on Thursday, promising to address economic inequalities and encourage economy.
Lee resigned as head of the Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday to compete for president in the June 3 elections, which were sparked by the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief declaration of martial law in December.
Lee, the front-runner in opinion polls to become the nation’s next leader, promised in a video released Thursday to address economic polarization, which he claimed was a major cause of social conflict and had contributed to the recent political unrest in the nation after Yoon declared martial law.
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.
Another well-liked conservative politician, Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo, has declared his intention to run in the elections.
A member of the ruling People Power Party, Ahn Cheol-soo, has declared his intention to run for president in the party’s nomination contest for a snap election.
Kim Dong-yeon, the governor of Gyeonggi Province and a member of the main opposition Democratic Party, has also declared his intention to run for office.
In the upcoming days, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is also anticipated to make his quest for the top position public.
