By-Election: Lee Jae-Myung Wins Presidential Election in South Korea
Contest Results Unveiled: Lee, Opposition Candidate, Clinches Victory in South Korean Presidential Race - South Korean Presidential Election Seeing Opposition Victory as Lee Emerges as Winner
Ever since former conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol was booted out of office by parliament for his short-lived declaration of martial law in December, things have been heating up in South Korea. This snap election saw opposition leader Lee, the Democratic Party's frontrunner, stepping into the ring as the clear favorite, backed by the polls.
Yoon's brash move to impose martial law in early December sparked a major political uproar in the country. The conservative president took this drastic action amidst a budget dispute. Despite lifting the martial law shortly afterward, parliament took things into their own hands and voted for Yoon's removal. The constitutional court later rubber-stamped this decision in early April.
Lee, the 61-year-old former factory worker, leveraged this volatile situation to boost his profile. During the height of the martial law chaos, Lee stood tall within the parliament, delivering a passionate speech defending democracy and streaming it live on online platforms. Despite losing to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election by a razor-thin margin of 0.7%, Lee seized the moment and emerged victorious.
- Lee Jae-Myung
- By-election
- South Korea
- Presidential election
- Kim Moon Soo
Enrichment Data:The newly elected president of South Korea following the removal of Yoon Suk Yeol is Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Lee secured a landslide victory in the early presidential election held on June 3, 2025, with 49.42% of the vote and a high voter turnout of 79.38%, the highest since 1997[1][2].
Lee Jae-myung earned his spot in the limelight during this period due to his unwavering leadership and the political climate created by the crisis following Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law. The crisis, which led to Yoon's impeachment and removal, paved the way for an early election. Lee, who had narrowly lost the previous presidential election to Yoon, utilized the disarray within the ruling People Power Party (PPP), which failed to coalesce behind a solitary candidate[1][2], to his advantage.
Lee's legal disputes, which had cast doubt on his eligibility, were resolved by the Constitutional Court in late March, clearing the path for his candidacy[1]. During the campaign, Lee likely profited from the public's desire for stability and normalization following the political storm, as well as the economic and social issues that came to the forefront during the campaign, like the economy, housing costs, and gender equality[2].
- In the aftermath of Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial martial law declaration and subsequent removal, Lee Jae-Myung, the Democratic Party's candidate, capitalized on the political turmoil to become the primary contender in the South Korean by-election.
- The European Union, while monitoring the South Korean political landscape following the martial law crisis and the president's impeachment, may find the resolution of the conflict and the subsequent election results significant in terms of political stability and reform within EC countries.
