Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party is currently topping opinion polls, but now risks being removed from the ballot.
South Korea’s Supreme Court overturned a ruling on Thursday that had cleared the upcoming presidential election frontrunner of violating election law, throwing his eligibility to run into doubt.
Lee Jae-Myung, the candidate of the liberal-leaning Democratic Party, which controls South Korea’s parliament, is currently topping opinion polls ahead of a snap presidential election sparked by former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s being ousted from office over his imposition of martial law.
The election law violation case against Lee had been closely watched, since a ruling that removes him from the ballot could further deepen divisions in what is already a febrile political atmosphere in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
In March, an appeals court cleared Lee of breaking election law, but prosecutors appealed to the nation’s Supreme Court.
Lee is concurrently tangled up in numerous criminal proceedings, but the election law case was given particular attention because if the Supreme Court overturns the not guilty verdict, and it is finalized, it would bar him from running for electoral office for at least five years.
South Korea’s top court said that Lee violated election law by making false statements and sent the case back to the appeals court.
“The defendant’s remarks … were judged to be false statements on matters important enough to ruin voters’ accurate judgment on the defendant’s eligibility for public office,” said Chief Justice Jo Hee-De.
Lee himself said on Thursday that the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn his not guilty verdict in a criminal case was “completely different“ from the ruling he had expected.
He also told reporters he would do whatever the people wanted, regardless of what his political rivals said.
On Thursday in Seoul, the nation’s acting leader and current prime minister, Han Duck-Soo, resigned ahead of his expected official run for the top job.
“I have two paths ahead of me. One is completing the heavy responsibility that I handle now. The other is putting down that responsibility and taking a heavier responsibility,” Han said in a televised announcement.
“I’ve finally determined to put down my post to do what I can and what I have to help overcome the crises facing us.”
The 75-year-old career bureaucrat gave 40 years to public service and has a Harvard doctorate in economics.
Han has held top positions under both conservative and liberal governments, including trade minister, finance minister, and ambassador to the United States, and he served as prime minister twice, first under liberal President Roh Moo-hyun from 2007 to 2008 and later under Yoon.
His supporters say his extensive experience, especially on economic matters, makes him the right leader to deal with the United States’ new tariff policies and other economic problems plaguing the nation.
However, his critics say he does not have a sufficient political support base and is too old for the position.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-Mok has now taken over as acting president, as required by law.
Han was thrust into the spotlight after taking over the presidency from Yoon, who is currently on trial for leading an insurrection.
Yoon attempted to impose martial law for about six hours on Dec. 3, 2024, before he backed down in the face of parliamentary opposition and public protests.
That move plunged the country into months of political turmoil and led to the Constitutional Court eventually relieving him of the presidency in April.
His trial officially began on April 14 in Seoul.
Yoon, who had been chief prosecutor for almost two years before becoming president in 2022, denies the charges.
Adding to the list of South Korean politicians currently in legal hot water is former President Moon Jae-in, who was indicted on bribery charges on April 24.
The snap election will be held on June 3, and whoever wins will serve a five-year term, until 2030.
A Gallup Korea poll on April 25 showed that Lee was the favorite with 38 percent. Former head of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) Han Dong-Hoon, who is yet to be formally selected as PPP candidate, had 8 percent, while Han Duck-Soo was on 6 percent.