South Koreans participated in early voting for the upcoming snap presidential election in unprecedented numbers, according to data from the National Election Commission. The early voting period, held on May 29 and May 30, 2025, saw over 3.1 million voters cast their ballots by mid-morning Thursday, marking the highest turnout at this stage in a presidential election in South Korea's history.
The election scheduled for June 3, 2025, follows significant political unrest and a leadership crisis triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial attempt to impose martial law. The snap election aims to restore stability.
Frontrunner Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, voted at a polling station in Seoul. Speaking after casting his ballot, Lee urged citizens to participate, emphasizing the need to overcome the current national challenges and promote recovery and growth.
On the same day, South Korea's central bank cut interest rates and sharply reduced its economic growth forecast for 2025, underscoring the country’s economic challenges amid the political transition.
Lee has recently pledged to create a new Ministry of Climate and Energy to address climate change and to revamp the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to strengthen equal rights and prevent reverse discrimination.
Other candidates, including Lee’s main conservative opponent Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, also cast their votes early. Recent Gallup Korea polls conducted before the campaign blackout showed Lee leading with 49% support, followed by Kim at 35%, and Lee Jun-seok at 11%.
Notably, Kim Moon-soo has narrowed the gap since the campaign began on May 12 but has not succeeded in consolidating conservative support by persuading Lee Jun-seok to withdraw.