Seoul, May 31 South Korean Presidential candidates continued on with their final push to woo voters Saturday, with only three days remaining until the nation chooses its next leader.
Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party attended a rally in Pyeongtaek, around 60 kilometres south of Seoul, a day after the two-day early voting period for the June 3 presidential election.
At the rally, Lee addressed reports of possible opinion rigging by a far-right group, describing such activity as an "act of rebellion" that must be held accountable.
"How can they be manipulating comments, making fake news in this day and age, and systematically making preparations to ruin the election results?" he asked. "Can this be forgiven? We must root it out."
Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party called for "banishing" Lee from politics, accusing him of being a habitual liar during a rally in the eastern Gangwon Province, Yonhap news agency reported.
"Lee has been found guilty of lying. What would happen (to the country) if he becomes president?" Kim claimed, vowing to be a "clean" president if elected.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court sent Lee's election law violation case back to the Seoul High Court for a retrial, citing errors in the lower court's decision to acquit Lee of charges of making false statements during the previous presidential race in 2021, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea will elect a new president next Tuesday after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.
Yoon is a South Korean lawyer and public official who served as prosecutor general (2019–21) and president (2022–24) of South Korea. On December 3, 2024, he declared martial law, ostensibly to combat “pro-North Korean” elements in the government, but he reversed himself just hours later. He was impeached by South Korea’s National Assembly on December 14, and his presidential powers were stripped.
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