Two-day early voting to kick-off under tightened monitoring

The two-day early voting period for the June 3 presidential election is scheduled to begin Thursday, as authorities revealed measures to strengthen surveillance to prevent voter fraud. According to the National Election Commission, a total of 3,569 polling stations will be opened across the nation on Thursday and Friday. The stations will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. All South Korean citizens aged 18 or older are eligible to vote. For the upcoming election, citizens born on June 4

Final TV debate flooded with insults, not ideas

Accusations flew during Tuesday’s televised presidential debate, with the candidates concentrating more on trading barbs than substantive discussions of political and foreign policy issues. The candidates who participated in the debate — the final one on live television scheduled before the election on June 3 — sought to highlight the weaknesses of their competitors instead of discussing ways to take the country out of its current political malaise. The front-runner in the presidential race, Rep

Arming the future: Presidential contenders set sights on defense boom

The two major contenders for South Korea’s upcoming presidential election — Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party — have been voicing support for the country’s defense industry. Lee has pledged a new coordinating body for arms exports and funding for defense sector R&D. Kim, meanwhile, has pledged to support the industry by boosting South Korea's own military, particularly with nuclear submarines. He also promised to focus on specific R&D targets, inclu

Ex-DP chief Lee Nak-yon endorses Kim Moon-soo

Lee Nak-yon, the former prime minister in the liberal Moon Jae-in government who also led the Democratic Party of Korea just five years ago, threw his weight behind conservative People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo on Tuesday, saying they would cooperate to prevent a "dictatorship.” The ex-prime minister’s move comes as Kim has been urging politicians to join and form a broad coalition against Democratic Party candidate and front-runner Lee Jae-myung, ahead of next week's presidential elect

Policy Watch: Kim Moon-soo pledges to boost rural growth, local autonomy

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the main conservative People Power Party, on Monday vowed to boost economic development in South Korea’s rural provinces to achieve more balanced growth with the capital, Seoul. His proposal focuses on strengthening local autonomy by devolving central government authority over farmland use and greenbelt management to regional governments. He also pledged to expand the GTX high-speed rail system beyond the greater Seoul area to better connect regional e

Policy Watch: Lee Jun-seok vows to ease regulations on TV advertising

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the minor conservative New Reform Party, vowed Monday to ease regulations on television advertising, citing stricter restrictions than those on social media platforms. Lee criticized current broadcasting laws for maintaining blanket bans on certain product categories — rules dating back to the 1990s — while the same ads face little restriction on platforms like YouTube and social media. He called for replacing these outdated bans with a content-ba

Conservatives miss merger deadline as ballots go to print

Ballot printing for the June 3 presidential election commenced Sunday, meaning the first deadline for a potential consolidation of candidacies within South Korea’s conservative bloc has passed. The ballots will feature the names of both Kim Moon-soo of the large People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party, essentially setting the conservatives’ separate bids in stone. From this point on, even if either candidate withdraws, the ballot will not reflect the change and voters w

Are you red, blue or orange? How color is defining politics this election season

In South Korea’s rushed presidential election, color is doing a lot of the talking. With policy plans still vague and party alliances in flux, the candidates have leaned heavily on clothing and color to communicate who they are. Mixing red, blue and white has become shorthand for everything from unity to rebranding. On May 12, the Democratic Party of Korea’s candidate Lee Jae-myung drew immediate attention when he changed into blue-and-red sneakers while on the stump, marking the launch of his o

Who's Ahead: Kim Moon-soo catching up to Lee Jae-myung at 36% to 45%

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo is catching up to his Democratic Party of Korea rival, Lee Jae-myung, according to Friday's poll from Gallup Korea. In the new poll, Kim trails Lee by 9 percentage points at 36 percent and 45 percent, respectively. An earlier Gallup poll, released May 16, saw Kim lagging behind Lee by 22 percentage points at 29 percent and 51 percent, respectively. While Lee still has a strong lead, this is a boost for Kim who has been behind in polling sinc

Lee Jun-seok vows to continue to Election Day under his own name

New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok announced Thursday that he plans to proceed to the June 3 presidential election under his own name and with his current party, further dampening prospects of a "merger" with People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo. "In this presidential election, I, Lee Jun-seok, together with the Reform Party, will fight to the end and win under our own name," Lee said at a press briefing at the National Assembly in the afternoon. "When you receive your ballot, you will

South Korea's underwhelming election: '3-week sprint that feels like a marathon'

It's been over a month since South Korea entered election mode with the Supreme Court confirming the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol on April 4. This election season, much shorter than usual, feels underwhelming for many South Koreans. When Kim Moon-soo was finalized as the People Power Party's nominee on May 11, just 22 days remained until the June 3 presidential vote. By that time, his rival Lee Jae-myung had been the Democratic Party of Korea's nominee for almost two weeks. Poli

Spouses of candidates join campaign efforts

The spouses of the two leading presidential candidates have been more visible on the campaign trail in recent weeks compared to previous election cycles. At the same time, they have avoided moves that could overshadow the candidates themselves, despite a political atmosphere fueling their rivalry. On Wednesday, Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of liberal Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, visited the port of Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, where the hull of the Sewol ferry remains docked. K

From AI to labor: Where presidential hopefuls stand on key economic issues

With less than two weeks remaining until the June 3 presidential election, major candidates have identified economic growth, artificial intelligence, and energy strategy as key campaign issues. But while Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party, share these priorities, their proposals reflect broader ideological differences. The Korea Herald has taken a closer look at their campa

Debate over Gender Ministry reenters presidential campaign

The debate over abolishing the Gender Ministry has been reignited in this year’s presidential campaign in the pledges of top candidates. Last week, Lee Jun-seok, candidate for the minor conservative New Reform Party, revived his earlier pledge from the 2022 presidential election campaign to shutter the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for good. He included the goal as part of his top policy pledges, saying the ministry’s responsibilities would be redistributed between the Ministry of Inter

With about 2 weeks left, Korean voters use YouTube to 'feel out' candidates

After months of political upheaval, from last December’s martial law crisis to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment this April, South Korea has entered a full-blown election sprint. In an early presidential race few saw coming until late last year, candidates and voters alike are navigating a compressed, high-stakes campaign ahead of the June 3 vote. Amid this rush, voters across the country are increasingly turning to YouTube for candid, unfiltered glimpses into the personalities, values and a