Yoon Seok-yeol Starts... 8-Month Presidential Race Kicks Off

Presidential Primary Candidate Registration Begins

Ruling Party's Lee Nak-yeon and Chung Sye-kyun, Opposition's Yoo Seung-min
Expected to Complete Registration on First Day
Yoon, Who Declared Political Participation,
Officially Steps Forward as Presidential Candidate

On the 12th, when the registration for presidential preliminary candidates began, hopefuls for the presidential election were registering as preliminary candidates at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Park Cheol-eung and Lee Hyun-joo] The official curtain has risen on the 20th presidential election scheduled for March 9 next year, as the registration for preliminary candidates began on the 12th. Among the major presidential candidates on the first day of registration with the National Election Commission, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol was the first to register. After former State Affairs Coordination Office Chief Lee Seok-jun registered as a proxy, Yoon told reporters, "We will build a Korea where fairness and common sense stand upright together with the people," adding, "We will create a state that exists for the people, not a people who exist for the state. We will make a country where the people are the true owners."

In the opposition camp, former Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Yoo Seung-min registered as a preliminary candidate on the same day. Yoo stated, "I will definitely become the unified opposition candidate, receive the people's choice, replace the government, and become a competent president who solves the problems of the era." On the ruling party side, former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun are expected to complete their registration in the afternoon. However, since incumbent local government heads must resign before registering as preliminary candidates, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung postponed his registration. He must resign by December 9, which is 90 days before the election day.

The six candidates who passed the Democratic Party cutoff the day before began full-scale presidential activities through broadcast interviews, considering the spread of COVID-19. On MBC radio that day, Governor Lee said, "I am in a position to worry about the main election, but the positions of other (party) candidates might be somewhat different," adding, "We must ensure that our capabilities are maximized in the main election, so we should not attack each other harshly. We are boxing with our hands tied." He expressed confidence by emphasizing his position as the leading candidate of the ruling party in various opinion polls.

Former Chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Lee Seok-jun (left) is registering Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General, as a preliminary presidential candidate at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the morning of the 12th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former leader Lee Nak-yeon, when asked about unification with former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on BBS radio, said, "There are various ways to cooperate, so it may not only be the commonly thought unification method," and drew a line by saying, "We have not discussed such a method (unification)." Given his recent rising approval ratings, Lee also seemed to express his will to win without unification. Regarding Governor Lee Jae-myung's stance that it is inappropriate to ask about matters before marriage in the verification of former Prosecutor General Yoon's family controversy, former leader Lee said, "If that logic is applied, it would mean not asking about anything before becoming president. That should not be allowed," taking a firm stance.

In the opposition camp, former Prosecutor General Yoon and former lawmaker Yoo registered as preliminary candidates with the Election Commission through proxies on the morning of the same day. In Yoon's case, it was a formal declaration of his presidential candidacy following his 'political participation declaration.' Former Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn is also expected to register as a preliminary candidate soon. Jeju Province Governor Won Hee-ryong planned to register as a preliminary candidate after announcing his early resignation the day before, but postponed the schedule to implement quarantine measures due to the worsening COVID-19 situation.

Those not affiliated with political parties or outside figures rushing to register as preliminary candidates seem to be expressing a strong will to challenge the presidency and resolving practical issues. Once registered as a preliminary candidate, they can install election offices (signboards, plaques, banners), distribute election campaign business cards, wear sashes or badges, send text messages, publish and sell pledge books, among other activities. They can also raise campaign funds up to 2.56545 billion won, which is 5% of the election expense limit of 51.309 billion won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.