South Korea has set 3 June as the date for a snap presidential election after impeached leader Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his martial law declaration.
Political polarisation is likely to shape the election, set to be a direct showdown between Mr Yoon's conservative People Power Party and its main rival, the liberal Democratic Party.
Mr Yoon was removed on Friday by the Constitutional Court, which upheld the parliament’s decision to impeach him for plunging his country into a crisis by briefly imposing martial law last December. He had been suspended from work since.
The leadership vacuum has impeded Seoul’s efforts to deal with chief ally US at a time when president Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on the country, compounding economic problems caused by slowing growth.
“The government intends to designate June 3 as the 21st presidential election day,” acting president Han Duck Soo told a cabinet meeting, adding that this would allow political parties sufficient time to prepare.
Mr Yoon’s labour minister, Kim Moon Soo, signalled his intention to run by resigning his post on Tuesday. “I decided to run because the people want it, people I know want it, and I feel a sense of responsibility to solve national difficulties," Mr Kim told reporters.
He said economic conditions during a "severe national crisis" were hurting people's livelihoods. "I thought that all politicians and people should unite to overcome the crisis and work together to help the country develop further,” he said.
Ahn Cheol Soo, a ruling party lawmaker who was the first to vote for Mr Yoon's impeachment, also declared his intention to run. He claimed he was a "cleaner candidate than anyone else".
In all, around 10 members of the party were expected to throw their hats in the ring for the presidential primary.
The Democratic Party was expected to field its leader, Lee Jae Myung, who narrowly lost to Mr Yoon in 2022. Mr Lee led his party through the martial law crisis during which many of its members faced off against soldiers sent by Mr Yoon to prevent the National Assembly from overturning his decree.
Other prominent presidential hopefuls reportedly included Seoul mayor Oh Se Hoon, Daegu city mayor Hong Joon Pyo and former People Power Party leader Han Dong Hoon.
Political parties were expected to launch primaries to select their presidential candidates in the coming weeks.
Additional reporting by agencies.
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