South Korea's presidential candidates have kicked off their official campaign trail with promises to unite a deeply polarized society and boost economic growth while engaging in strategic trade talks with the United States, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The presidential election will be held on June 3 after incumbent President Yoon Suk-yeol was removed from power for imposing martial law during a failed coup attempt in December, an event that plunged the country into political crisis.
Lee Jae-myeon, leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DP), kicked off his campaign at a rally in central Seoul, backed by a crowd of supporters dressed in blue. On stage, he symbolically changed into sneakers, a sign of his determination to work tirelessly during the campaign.
“Will you walk with us on the new path of hope?“, Lee Jae-myung asked the crowd as songs from his campaign rang out.
After losing the previous election to Yoon, Lee now enjoys broad public support. He survived a knife attack, challenged martial law and overcame attempts to remove him through court charges related to bribery and a $1 billion real estate scandal. The cases against him have been postponed until after the election.
Yee is campaigning in a bulletproof vest because of threats against him. He has pledged to be a leader of national unity and to address trade problems caused by tariffs imposed by the administration of former US President Donald Trump. Key highlights of his platform include economic growth through the development of artificial intelligence and the K-pop music industry, as well as improving relations with North Korea and expanding Seoul's diplomatic influence in Europe.
For his part, conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo - a former labor minister - opened his campaign at a wholesale exchange, where he spoke to traders and pledged support for small businesses. After merging his campaign with that of former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, Kim was established as the sole candidate of the ruling People's Power (CH) party.
Yoon Suk-yeol publicly supported Kim, but this led to tensions within the party, with some members demanding the former president's expulsion.
Kim emphasized in his platform the creation of new jobs and improving the business climate. He said that if elected, he would initiate an immediate meeting with Trump to rethink customs policy. In addition, it will seek to strengthen the defense alliance with the United States and will insist on South Korea's right to reprocess nuclear fuel - a step towards eventually developing its own nuclear capacity.