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yesterday

Lee Jae-myung Holds Double-Digit Lead as South Koreans Begin Early Voting

Voters cast ballots to choose Yoon Suk-yeol’s successor, assessing candidates’ plans for reviving South Korea’s democratic institutions.

Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party prepares to attend their last televised debate, hosted by the MBC TV network, in Seoul on May 27, 2025, ahead of the June 3 presidential election. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
A woman casts her early vote for the upcoming presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
South Korea's presidential candidate, Kim Moon Soo of the People Power Party poses for photograph ahead of a third televised presidential debate for the forthcoming June 3 presidential election at MBC studio on May 27, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kyodo/Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the New Reform Party, speaks after a campaign rally at Yeouido Park in Seoul on May 28, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Early voting opened May 29 at 3,568 polling stations, with turnout reaching a record 3.55 percent by midmorning on the first day.
  • A final Realmeter survey before the poll blackout showed Lee Jae-myung at 49.2 percent support, Kim Moon-soo at 36.8 percent and Lee Jun-seok at 10.3 percent.
  • Lee Jun-seok declined calls to merge his New Reform Party bid with Kim Moon-soo, securing a competitive three-way race until June 3.
  • Front-runners split their early voting strategies, with Lee campaigning in eastern Seoul wards and Kim focusing on southeastern conservative strongholds.
  • The incoming president will face stagnant growth, rising household debt and public demands to restore democratic norms after last year’s martial law crisis.