Lee Jae-myung, the opposition leader in South Korea, announces his intention to run for president

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of South Korea, who is leading the nation in polls to become its next leader, announced his intention to run for president on Thursday, pledging to prioritize economic growth and addressing inequality.

After former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment due to a declaration of martial law in December was upheld in April, the presidential election is scheduled for June 3.

In a Thursday video, Lee vowed to address economic polarization, which he claimed was a major cause of social unrest, emphasizing how he believed it had contributed to the recent political unrest following Yoon’s imposition of martial law.

According to Lee, he will push for significant government spending on talent development and technology in order to revive economic growth.

Lee, who has made an effort to position himself as a pragmatist, stated that the importance of a policy’s usefulness was more significant than its launcher.

Conservative detractors have cautioned that the opposition might jeopardize better relations with Japan and sabotage the alliance with the United States, but Lee promised to pursue diplomacy with reality.

The alliance between South Korea and the United States, as well as the cooperation between South Korea and Japan, are significant from a realistic standpoint. According to Lee, “the Republic of Korea’s national interest is the top priority within that consistent principle.”

When Lee, 61, faced Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, he lost by the narrowest margin in the nation’s history.

He did, however, lead his liberal Democratic Party to a resounding win in a legislative election last year, and liberal people strongly favor him.

In an effort to shift his focus to his election campaign, Lee resigned as head of the main opposition party on Wednesday.

With 34% of the vote, Lee is the front-runner to become the next president, according to a Gallup survey released on April 4. The top conservative candidate, 73-year-old former labor minister Kim Moon-soo, has 9% of the vote.

The conservatives’ presidential field is very open. In May, a primary will be held by the ruling People Power Party to affirm its candidate.