TEHRAN (Tasnim) Thousands of supporters of South Koreas two leading presidential candidates rallied on Saturday in Seoul, days before a vote triggered by the ex-leaders disastrous declaration of martial law.
- Other Media news -Tuesdays election caps months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon Suk Yeols brief suspension of civilian rule in December, for which he was impeached and removed from office.
All major polls have placed liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead in the presidential race, with a recent Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.
Kim Moon-soo, from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) that Yoon left this month, trailed behind at 35 percent.
Organizers from both camps told police they expected tens of thousands of supporters to rally in Seoul on Saturday.
In Seocho, in the south of the capital, Lee supporters gathered holding signs condemning Yoons insurrection.
I believe the outcome of the presidential election is already decided, Lee Kyung-joon, a Lee supporter, told AFP.
I came to todays rally to help condemn the forces involved in the martial law attempt, he added, referring to ex-president Yoons political allies.
Yoon is currently on trial for insurrection, and Kwon Oh-hyeok, one of the organizers of Saturdays rally, said a Lee victory in the June 3 vote was crucial to holding him accountable.
Isnt the People Power Partys decision to run in the snap election triggered by Yoons removal from office an insult and a betrayal of the people? Kwon told rally participants.
Fellow citizens, we must win by a landslide to deliver the justice this moment demands.
On the other side of town, in Gwanghwamun Square, conservatives including supporters of disgraced ex-leader Yoon filled the streets holding signs that read Yoon Again and Early voting is invalid!
Yoons martial law attempt, which he claimed was necessary to root out pro-North Korean, anti-state forces, emboldened a wave of extreme supporters including far-right YouTubers and radical religious figures.
Many have spread unverified content online, including allegations of Chinese espionage and fraud within South Koreas electoral system.
That sentiment was on full display at Saturdays rally, where protesters called for the dissolution of the National Election Commission over a series of mishaps during the two-day early voting period this week.
People believe the root of all these problems lies with the National Election Commission, and that it should be held accountable, conservative protester Rhee Kang-san told AFP.
Both frontrunner Lee of the liberal Democratic Party and conservative challenger Kim have cast the race as a battle for the soul of the country.
More than a third of those eligible cast their ballots in early voting on Thursday and Friday, according to the election commission.
Overseas voting reached a record high, with nearly four-fifths of the 1.97 million eligible voters casting their ballots last week.
Experts say that regardless of who wins, South Koreas polarization is likely to deepen.
If Lee wins, the conservatives will do whatever it takes to undermine him and his government, whether their logic makes sense or not, political analyst Park Sang-byung told AFP.
Unless the PPP distances itself from Yoons extremist base, it could turn to misinformation such as unfounded claims of election fraud to mobilize the right against Lee. Thats a troubling prospect, he said.
Whoever succeeds Yoon will also have to grapple with a worsening economic downturn, one of the worlds lowest birth rates, the soaring cost of living and bellicose neighbor North Korea.
He will also have to navigate a mounting superpower standoff between the United States, South Koreas traditional security guarantor, and China, its largest trade partner.
