SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, former leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, officially declared his candidacy for president on Thursday, becoming the first prominent figure to launch a bid following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
In a video message, Lee vowed to build a “real Korea” that leads the world under a new K-Initiative vision focused on economic growth, life-centered values, and diplomacy based on national interest.
The announcement came just six days after the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove Yoon from office, marking the second presidential impeachment in South Korea’s history after Park Geun-hye in 2017. The early presidential election is scheduled for Jun. 3.
Lee’s declaration was made in an 11-minute, 37-second documentary-style video filmed in the aftermath of Yoon’s impeachment. “I am running for president to create a real Korea,” Lee said in the video. He outlined three key objectives of his campaign -- economic growth, prioritizing life and safety, and diplomacy centered on national interests.
By highlighting economic growth as his foremost priority, Lee appeared to position himself toward moderate voters. He emphasized his practical policy approach -- coined as "Meoksanism" and "Jalsanism" -- which combines speedy implementation and pragmatism, signaling his readiness to govern.
Lee previously ran for president in 2017 and 2022. His candidacy comes after a period of political resurgence. On Apr. 4, the Constitutional Court ruled to remove President Yoon for abuse of power and unconstitutional use of military force related to the martial law incident of Dec. 2024. The impeachment trial concluded that Yoon violated core democratic principles by deploying troops to block the National Assembly and ordering restrictions on civil liberties.
Despite facing multiple legal risks in the past, including allegations of false statements and corruption, Lee recently cleared a major hurdle when an appeals court acquitted him on election law violation charges. In 2024, he survived a near-fatal stabbing attack during a public appearance, which triggered a wave of sympathy and renewed support.
He now enters the race as the frontrunner, with recent March polling by Flower Research showing him with 46.3 percent support -- more than four times that of the next most popular candidate, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), who polled at 9.7 percent.
In the same survey, Lee led in all age groups except those aged 70 and older, and in every region, including conservative strongholds like Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. Among moderates, Lee secured 47.2 percent support, while progressive respondents backed him by 79.2 percent.
Conservative support was fragmented among PPP candidates, with Kim Moon-soo at 20.9 percent, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at 11.5 percent, and former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon at 9.0 percent. The poll was conducted on March 28–29 with a sample of 1,001 adults, and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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