South Korea’s Liberal Leader Lee Wins Party Nomination to Run for President

South Korea’s Liberal Leader Lee Wins Party Nomination to Run for President
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party's former leader Lee Jae-myung celebrates after winning the nomination as the June 3 presidential election candidate during a party's convention in Goyang, South Korea, on April 27, 2025. Lee Jin-man/AP Photo
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SEOUL, South Korea—Lee Jae-myung, a liberal who wants greater economic parity in South Korea and warmer ties with North Korea, became the main opposition party’s presidential candidate Sunday, solidifying his position as front-runner to succeed recently ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The former Democratic Party chief had led the opposition-controlled parliament’s impeachment of Yoon over the imposition of martial law in December. The country’s Constitutional Court formally dismissed Yoon earlier this month, prompting an early presidential election on June 3 to find a new president.