South Korea has set an election date in June, following the removal of ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol due to his abusive enactment of martial law in late December, sending the country into a turmoil and damaging its reputation.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s current acting president, stated that after discussions with several related agencies and considering many factors, the nation will hold a snap election on June 3 to find a new president.
South Korea’s ex-president, Yoon Suk-yeol of the Power People Party, was supposed to stay in power until 2027, after he won a five-year term in 2022. However, he was impeached on December 14 for declaring martial law on December 3 that shattered the nation’s democratic reputation. The order lasted only six hours before the parliament voted against it.
The nation’s Constitutional Court officially removed him from office on Friday after all of its justices found and declared that Yoon abused his power.
As for who will take Yoon’s place, the current front runner seems to be Lee Jae-myung of the opposition Democratic Party. However, he also faces several trials on corruption and other charges. For now, Han will continue to serve as the nation’s acting president.
Han’s current concern is Trump’s tariff that he imposed on all U.S.’ trade partners. South Korea now faces a 25 percent tariff, which heavily affects the nation’s auto industry. In 2024, 27% of $127.8 billion South Korea exports to the U.S. came from cars and other vehicles.
Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo is now heading to the U.S. to negotiate on this tariff matter.
