Ruling and Opposition Parties on Alert for Possibility of Early May Presidential Election

Early Presidential Election Possibility Draws Attention
Ruling and Opposition Parties Prepare for Different Outcomes

As President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial enters its final stages, political attention is focusing on the possibility of an early presidential election in May.

On the afternoon of the 20th, the 10th impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol was held in the Grand Bench of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and the trial is beginning.
February 20, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

According to political circles on the 23rd, the People Power Party, which opposes impeachment, is drawing a line against the possibility of an early election, but behind the scenes, there is an atmosphere of preparing for the case that President Yoon's impeachment is upheld.

The leadership is concentrating its firepower on attacks against Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party and a prominent opposition presidential candidate.

Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor, Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, and Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, who are classified as next ruling party presidential candidates, are expanding their contacts with the media, and former party leader Han Dong-hoon will officially resume his political activities by publishing a book on the 26th.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party is focusing on public opinion campaigns for President Yoon's removal and regime change. The day before, they held their first outdoor rally since the emergency martial law incident in front of the Constitutional Court, urging President Yoon's removal.

The Democratic Party also launched the "End of Insurrection Democratic Constitutional Protection New Republic Roundtable" (Roundtable), a coalition of five opposition parties based on ending the insurrection and regime change, laying the foundation for opposition unity in preparation for the presidential election.

On March 1st, they will jointly hold a rally urging President Yoon's removal together with the parties participating in the Roundtable: the Party for National Innovation, the Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, and the Social Democratic Party, engaging in joint actions for impeachment and regime change.