Stage is set: South Korea election campaigning begins

Liberal Lee Jae-myung leads; ruling party's Kim Moon-soo follows as Han drops out

20250512 Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jae-myung today

South Korea's presidential candidates, Kim Moon-soo from the conservative People Power Party, left, and Lee Jae-myung from the liberal Democratic Party, kick off election campaign rally in Seoul on May 12. (Source photos by Reuters)

STEVEN BOROWIEC

SEOUL -- Campaigning officially kicked off Monday for South Korea's snap presidential election on June 3, with candidates from the two major political parties pledging to lead the country out of its monthslong political crisis and to revive the sluggish economy.

A Realmeter poll released Sunday showed left-leaning opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP) with 52.1% of support, ahead of Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who had 31.1%. The campaign period lasts for 22 days, concluding the day before the voting.

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