Who may very well be South Korea’s subsequent chief?

SEOUL – President Yoon Suk Yeol’s time period is about to finish on Could 9, 2027, however with the prospect of his early departure from workplace, that timeline is prone to be moved up considerably.

This situation turned extra doubtless after the Nationwide Meeting on Dec 14 voted to question him, suspending him from his duties whereas the Constitutional Court docket opinions whether or not to uphold or dismiss his removing from workplace.

Whereas there’s a probability, theoretically, that Mr Yoon is reinstated via the trial, South Korea’s political discussions are already shifting to who may very well be the subsequent chief.

READ: South Korea’s President Yoon impeached over martial regulation bid

In accordance with a latest ballot performed by Embrain Public on Dec 10 – per week after Yoon’s botched martial regulation – amongst 1,005 voters aged 18 and above, 37 per cent selected most important opposition Democratic Social gathering chairman Lee Jae-myung as their most well-liked subsequent chief of South Korea.

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Trailing behind him are former justice minister and ruling Folks Energy Social gathering chief Han Dong-hoon with 7 per cent, and Mr Cho Kuk, chief of the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Social gathering, with 6 per cent.

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Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and Gyeonggi province’s Governor Kim Dong-yeon garnered 5 per cent, 4 per cent and three per cent, respectively. The mayors of Seoul and Daegu are members of the conservative ruling bloc, whereas the Gyeonggi province chief is a member of the Democratic Social gathering.

Lee Jae-myung

The 60-year-old Lee was the presidential candidate for the liberal bloc within the 2022 election, shedding to Mr Yoon by simply 0.73 share level, the smallest margin in South Korean historical past.

READ: ‘I’m so completely satisfied’: Tears of pleasure, Ok-pop on Seoul streets as Yoon impeached

Whereas he’s at the moment the entrance runner amongst potential presidential contenders, there are vital dangers: His eligibility to run in any future election may very well be jeopardised by a number of ongoing trials.

He faces 5 authorized instances, together with costs of election regulation violations, perjury, corruption tied to a big growth mission, unlawful remittances to North Korea and misuse of company bank cards.

In November, an area court docket sentenced him to 1 yr in jail, suspended for 2 years, in his first trial on costs of violating election regulation.

Han Dong-hoon

Mr Han, 51, is a star prosecutor-turned-politician, very similar to Mr Yoon. He had been Mr Yoon’s staunchest ally within the prosecution and in the course of the early days of his presidency.

In 2022, Mr Han was handpicked by Mr Yoon to function his first justice minister. Throughout his stint as minister, his confrontational exchanges with opposition lawmakers in parliamentary classes earned him a loyal following amongst right-wing voters.

In 2023, Mr Han stepped right into a extra direct political position as interim chief of the Folks Energy Social gathering following the resignation of Mr Kim Gi-hyeon. Although he confronted setbacks, resigning after the social gathering’s defeat within the common election in April, Mr Han re-entered the political enviornment and was elected social gathering chief once more in July.

Oh Se-hoon

Mr Oh, 63, was re-elected as Seoul mayor in 2022, and has since emerged as one other potential presidential contender.

The Seoul mayoralty has lengthy been seen as a pathway to the presidency. Former president Lee Myung-bak held the place earlier than profitable the 2007 election.

Mr Oh was first elected Seoul mayor in 2006, serving for 5 years. After a failed referendum to dam a transfer to make free faculty meal provisions common, he resigned in his second time period. He returned to workplace in 2021 in a by-election and secured a fourth time period in 2022.

He’s the primary Seoul mayor in South Korea’s historical past to be elected to 4 phrases.

Hong Joon-pyo

Mr Hong, at the moment Daegu mayor, was Mr Yoon’s most important contender within the right-wing presidential major.

The prosecutor-turned-politician is a conservative firebrand, recognized for his daring language and carefree manner. Throughout the fitting’s presidential major in 2021, his distinctive persona resonated with many younger male voters.

Mr Hong was elected mayor of Daegu, a conservative stronghold, in 2022 and has since prevented in-party conflicts and energy struggles, as a substitute voicing sharp criticism through social media.

He expressed opposition to the President’s impeachment, writing on Fb on Dec 14: “If we consider we made a mistake in electing President Yoon, we should always merely ask him to step down. Why go as far as to accuse him of rebel, a extreme crime, simply to ship him to jail?”

Kim Dong-yeon

Mr Kim, 67, is the governor of Gyeonggi province, having risen from humble beginnings, rising up in a shack after shedding his father at age 11.

He graduated from Deoksu Excessive Faculty and labored for Hana Financial institution whereas attending regulation faculty at evening.

As an financial professional, he has held key roles in varied administrations, together with these of presidents Moon Jae-in and Park Geun-hye. Between 2017 and 2018, he served as deputy prime minister in addition to finance minister.

He ran for president in 2022. Though that marketing campaign was unsuccessful, he went on to win the governorship of Gyeonggi province later the identical yr.