South Korea Presidential candidates rally ahead of June 3 vote

South Korea's presidential election nears with Lee Jae-myung leading in polls, facing criticism for heightened security measures.

South Korea's leading candidates held major campaign events Sunday (June 1, 2025), two days out from a snap Presidential election triggered by its former leader's removal after his disastrous declaration of martial law.

The June 3 election is set to cap months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon Suk Yeol's brief suspension of civilian rule in December, for which he was impeached and removed from office.

All major polls have put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead in the presidential race, with the latest Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.

Kim Moon-soo, from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) — Yoon's former party — trailed Lee on 35%.

The 60-year-old Lee began his rally in his hometown of Andong, 240 kilometres (149 miles) southeast of Seoul, telling his supporters he would seek to weaken the concentration of development in the capital region and boost non-Seoul areas.

"We should not simply seek a regional equal development strategy but rather provide more incentives for non-Seoul regions to support them more," said Lee, wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Mr. Lee has been campaigning with additional security measures, including bulletproof shields set up on the podium.