South Korea’s next presidential election is scheduled for June 3, 2025, due to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment for enforcing martial law in December 2024.

Yoon Suk Yeol had abruptly declared martial law in December 2024, as a response to quell the opposition within the National Assembly.

This action caused chaos across the country and led to his impeachment by the National Assembly and his removal by the Constitutional Court of South Korea.

The upcoming national vote will see six candidates compete for presidency, but the two top candidates are Lee Jae-Myung from the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo from the People Power Party.

Lee Jae-Myung started his political career as a labor activist before becoming a governor and he had almost won the 2022 election against the former impeached president.

Kim Moon-soo, who was also a former activist before becoming conservative, has been making progress recently but is still further behind in the polls.

Main topics being addressed during the election include the martial law crisis, the weakening economy due to the recently imposed U.S. tariffs on South Korean goods like steel and cars, and the ongoing security danger posed by North Korea.

Both leaders are trying to address these issues while also working to rebuild public confidence in the government.

The election process is being closely monitored because there is a law that states that a vote must happen within 60 days after a president’s position becomes vacant. Polling stations start operations early morning today and shut down in the evening, with results anticipated by the next morning.

The candidate who wins will take on the role right away, skipping the normal time for transition, highlighting the need to quickly bring back stable leadership to the country.