South Korea's ruling party picks ex-minister as presidential nominee

Hyonhee Shin, Sohee Kim, Bloomberg News on May 3, 2025

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South Korea’s ruling party has selected former labor minister Kim Moon-soo as its presidential candidate to take on opposition nominee Lee Jae-myung, who is leading opinion polls ahead of next month’s election.

The race to become the People Power Party’s candidate had narrowed down to Kim and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon. Ex-acting president Han Duck-soo entered the fray for the country’s top office as an independent on Friday.

“Our democracy is in crisis,” Kim said in an acceptance speech, adding that the opposition party has tried to impeach 31 government officials. “If we fail to stop the Democratic Party’s dictatorship, liberal democracy of South Korea will collapse and the nation’s future will be in jeopardy.”

Kim, who also served as governor of Gyeonggi Province, vowed to bond with any force to prevent his rival, Lee, from assuming power. He pledged to push for constitutional amendments, and to revamp the electoral system and pension plans.

The PPP has been reeling from the impeachment and ouster of former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched attempt to impose martial law in December. Han Duck-soo, who received Kim’s endorsement, may eventually seek to unite their campaigns.

Opposition Democratic Party candidate Lee has taken a commanding lead, but last week’s Supreme Court ruling that found he was guilty of violating election law has cast a shadow over his bid in the June 3 election. While he can remain in the race as legal proceedings continue, a prison sentence or a fine exceeding 1 million won (about $700) imposed before the vote would effectively disqualify him.

The upcoming election is seen as pivotal to restoring political and economic stability following months of turmoil. A Gallup Korea poll released April 25 showed Lee leading, with 38% support. South Korea’s crisis deepened further this week after Han Duck-soo resigned to join the race and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok quit, less than two hours before he was due to become the nation’s acting president.

A joint survey by four pollsters released on Thursday showed Lee with 42% support, followed by Han Duck-soo with 13%, Han Dong-hoon with 9% and Kim with 6%. In a hypothetical scenario former prime minister Han Duck-soo could join forces with the two PPP contenders to close the gap with Lee.

Regarding ties with Japan, Kim emphasized the importance of maintaining a favorable bilateral relationship but stressed that the nation’s territorial sovereignty over Dokdo Island is non-negotiable.