S. Korea opposition leader Lee resigns amid presidential run buzz

Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, gestures upon his arrival to court in Seoul on March 26, 2025. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

SEOUL –– South Korea‘s main opposition party head Lee Jae-myung said on Wednesday he was stepping down as party leader, amid expectations that the current populist front-runner for the presidency in opinion polls would soon declare his run.

South Korea‘s labour minister, Kim Moon-soon, who has been among a handful of ruling People Power Party members who indicated intentions to run, also declared his candidacy.

South Korea will hold a presidential election on June 3, after former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment stemming from a December martial law declaration was upheld on April 4.

READ: South Korea sets presidential election for June 3 – acting president