EXPLAINER - With Yoon out, who could become South Korea’s next president?

- ⁠Potential candidate opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung running ahead in polls

ISTANBUL

South Korea is set to hold a presidential election in 60 days after the Constitutional Court on Friday removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his failed attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3.

The main competition is expected to be between the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the opposition Democratic Party (DP), which holds a majority in parliament.

South Korea can only elect presidents for single five-year terms with no reelection.

Here are the potential candidates for the upcoming election:

Lee Jae-myung

The leader of the DP since 2022, Lee is a popular candidate in the polls for becoming the 14th president of the country.

According to a recent poll, the Realmeter survey of 1,510 adults, 49.5% of the respondents support him.

He was acquitted last month of an election law violation case, clearing the way for his presidential run.

This would be his second run for the presidential office since Lee had narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential race, securing 47.8% of the vote compared to Yoon’s 48.6%.

In January 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt, when he was stabbed in the neck during a public event.

His assailant was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison, and according to authorities, the assassination attempt aimed to stop him from becoming president.

His key policy proposals in the last election included universal basic income for all households and social reforms for disadvantaged groups.

Han Dong-hoon

Han served as the justice minister in the Yoon administration in May 2022-December 2023, before becoming the head of the PPP in July 2024.

However, he resigned after Yoon’s impeachment and was vocal in criticizing his martial law attempt.

Han has faced backlash from Yoon’s supporters, who accuse him of betraying the former president.

Up until last July, Han was the top contender for the PPP presidential nomination, but his clashes with Yoon have led to a dip in his ratings, with 6.7% of the respondents in the Realmeter survey favoring the former minister.

Kim Moon-soo

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo is a popular conservative candidate.

Although he initially refrained from endorsing an early election due to his support for Yoon, he has emerged as a strong contender.

He holds 16.3% support in the Realmeter survey, making him a significant conservative candidate.

Hong Joon-pyo

Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, a traditional conservative stronghold in the country's southeastern region, said in February that he would "step down from the mayor position if the presidential election takes shape.”

He was the PPP’s candidate in the 2017 election held after former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment.

Hong has 7.1% support in the Realmeter survey.

Oh Se-hoon

Conservative Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a supporter of Yoon’s impeachment, had the 4.8% of respondents supporting him, according to the survey.

The PPP member previously said Yoon's removal from office was "highly likely," when asked if he would consider running.

Kim Dong-yeon

Kim is a member of the DP with presidential ambitions.

Currently the governor of the northwestern Gyeonggi province, Kim has expressed an interest in replacing Lee, calling himself the "candidate without legal liabilities," in reference to the DP chief's legal troubles.