A tight battle between liberal Lee Jae-myung and conservative Yoon Suk-yeol commenced on Wednesday in South Korea as it votes for a new president. South Koreans are headed towards polling booths despite an Omicron surge that has led to record infection levels.
According to the Korean news agency, the Korea Times voter turnout is expected to cross 80% as several local and international outlets reported that this election could be one of the most closely fought in Korea’s electoral history. At least 44 million voters will head to the booth for polling which will open at 6am and close at 6pm (local time). An extra 90 minutes has been reserved for people infected with Covid. Of these 44 million, at least 37% of them cast their ballots in early voting, setting another record in terms of voter turnout in a two-day early voting exercise last week.
A report by Washington Post pointed out that both Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol both want to work closely with Quad. But Lee Jae-myung insisted that South Korea should not have to choose between the US and China. Yoon, however, advocates that South Korea’s scope of cooperation with the Quad security alliance should be higher. Lee, according to the report, advocates the rapprochement approach with North Korea where sanctions would be eased with simultaneous denuclearization from the Kim Jong-un regime.
His competitor Yoon did not signal towards any rapprochement and said that greater cooperation with Washington will help tackle the nuclear threat posed by Kim indicating a move away from the Moon Jae-in’s party’s approach to inter-Korean relations. Yoon also spoke against violation of ‘liberal democratic norms and human rights’ without naming China.
According to the Korea Times report, people in Korea are going to choose between liberal Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung and the conservative People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol but the report outlined that they consider it choosing ‘lesser of two evils’.
Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung promised expansion of public welfare, a universal basic income and free school uniforms among other promises. A Washington Post report said that Lee is focusing on sky-high property prices and expanding public housing, making affordable housing one of the key topics of this presidential election.
Lee Jae-myung’s government-funded hair-loss treatment is also among the unorthodox policies that he has promised in the run-up to the polls. Lee, who worked as a child labourer and worked his way up to becoming the governor of the governor of Gyeonggi province. His policies like the free maternity care and pandemic relief funds also earned him plaudits among his constituents.
People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol, who served as the chief prosecutor of South Korea from 2019 to 2021 under president Moon Jae-in. A newcomer in South Korean politics, Yoon is known for his role in the conviction of former President Park Geun-hye. He has also threatened to investigate Korean incumbent president Moon Jae-in for alleged corrupt practices. Yoon, however, courted controversy over his stand on women’s rights and feminism, in a society where women struggle to find justice for the abuse and atrocities they face.
Yoon’s major criticism came when he said that systematic gender discrimination no longer exists in South Korea. He also landed in controversy when he said he would remove the ministry of gender equality and family in South Korea, according to a report by the Korean Herald.
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