South Korea’s leading presidential candidates held major campaign rallies on Sunday, just two days before a snap election set for June 3.
The vote follows months of political upheaval after the impeachment and removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law in December 2024.
Liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung, widely seen as the favorite, addressed a large crowd in his hometown of Andong, southeast of Seoul, where he pledged to tackle the imbalance between the capital and other regions.
“We should not simply seek a regional equal development strategy but rather provide more incentives for non-Seoul regions to support them more,” Lee told supporters, wearing a bulletproof vest and speaking behind bulletproof shields, a security measure introduced after he was stabbed in the neck in January 2024 during a campaign event in Busan.
Lee, who survived that attack, has ramped up security measures in the final stretch of the campaign.
The latest Gallup poll shows Lee with 49% support, while his main rival, Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), trails at 35%.
Kim, campaigning in the greater Seoul area on Sunday, took aim at Lee’s security protocols during a rally in Suwon.
“Look, I’m not wearing a bulletproof vest, right? But Lee is now even using bulletproof shields, feeling the vest isn’t enough,” Kim said.
“With such bulletproof measures, Lee is poised to impose his own dictatorship, and we must stop it.”
The June 3 vote will mark the culmination of a turbulent period in South Korean politics.
The impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol in December, following his abrupt suspension of civilian rule and declaration of martial law, left the country in a political crisis.
Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo briefly served as acting president before the snap election was called.
The National Election Commission reports that nearly 35% of voters have already cast ballots during early voting.
South Korea presidential candidates rally ahead of June 3 election
