Seoul [South Korea], June 3: South Koreans are set to elect a new president on Tuesday to succeed Yoon Suk Yeol, whose surprise declaration of martial law sparked a period of deep political crisis in the East Asian country.
Left-wing opposition leader Lee Jae Myung is the front-runner in the election, leading by a relatively clear margin in the latest polls, while conservative Kim Moon Soo is polling in second place. South Korean politics is deeply divided and the two candidates offer the country's 44 million eligible voters very different visions for the future.
The outcome of the election is sure to have a significant impact on the relations between South Korea - one of the world's leading industrial nations - and China, the United States and Europe. Yoon declared martial law in early December after a budget dispute. He justified the radical move by claiming, among other things, that the left-wing opposition had been infiltrated by communist and anti-state forces. He did not provide any evidence for these allegations.
Yoon was removed from office in April and faces trial for high treason. While the martial law status was deemed invalid in a parliamentary vote a few hours later, Yoon's removal left a prolonged power vacuum. Some political observers warned that South Korean democracy was existentially threatened, and the country's economic growth slowed.
Source: Qatar Tribune
