The announcement came four days after the Constitutional Court removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his ill-fated imposition of martial law in December. By law, South Korea must elect a new president within 60 days of Yoon's ouster. The next president will serve a full 5-year term, ABC News reported.
Deep political polarization will likely shape the election into a two-way showdown between the two major political parties: Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and its chief liberal rival, the Democratic Party.
It will be an uphill battle for the People Power Party to hold on to power as it struggles to restore public confidence and heal the severe internal divisions left by Yoon’s martial law stunt.
The focus of attention is on whether conservatives can regroup and field a strong candidate to compete against likely Democratic Party candidate Lee-Jae Myung, who observers say is the clear front-runner.
MA/PR
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