Race Heats Up: South Korea's Presidential Campaigns Begin

Presidential hopefuls in South Korea officially launched their campaigns on Monday for the June 3 elections, with polling data from Yonhap indicating a lead for Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung.

Amid this electoral buzz, South Korean opinion surveys suggest a potential end to three years of conservative governance. This follows the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed martial law attempt. Lee Jae-myung, from the Democratic Party, has emerged as the frontrunner, while Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, has been trailing. Notably, Kim's candidacy was only just confirmed, following internal party disagreements over a potential alliance with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Lee has promised to enhance the economy and citizen welfare, while Kim aims to rally conservative voters. All seven candidates finalized their nominations during a two-day registration period. Campaigning regulations permit speeches and dissemination of promotional materials between 7 AM and 11 PM daily. Candidate numbers are assigned according to party seat standings in the National Assembly, with Lee taking No. 1 and Kim No. 2.

(With inputs from agencies.)