Foreign Media: "Next After Yoon Are Lee Jae-myung, Han Dong-hoon, Cho Kuk"... Who Is the Most Likely Candidate?

Foreign Media Mention Possibility of President Yoon's Resignation and Impeachment
Leading Candidates to Replace Yoon Include Lee Jae-myung, Han Dong-hoon, and Cho Kuk

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is conversing with lawmakers at the plenary session held in the National Assembly main chamber on the 5th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

After President Yoon Seok-yeol declared martial law and lifted it six hours later, major foreign media outlets are closely monitoring the political situation in South Korea. These outlets are speculating on the possibility of President Yoon's mid-term resignation and are focusing on three leading candidates for his successor.

Recently, major foreign media have been reporting that President Yoon faces impeachment threats due to the martial law declaration incident. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) analyzed, "President Yoon has made a significant political mistake," adding, "With his approval rating recently falling below 20%, President Yoon will now face difficult questions about his political future." The Washington Post (WP) predicted, "Although the martial law declaration lasted only six hours, it will cause widespread repercussions in South Korea, known for its vibrant democracy."

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Foreign media suggest, "There is a high possibility that President Yoon will resign mid-term," and if he is ousted or chooses to step down, they are paying attention to the leading candidates who could replace him: Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea; Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party; and Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party. Particularly, foreign media analyze that Lee Jae-myung holds the most advantageous position in the next presidential race. He has consistently received the highest support among potential candidates and has shown an active response following the martial law declaration. Previously, a preference survey for the next presidential candidate conducted by CBS through the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) from the 26th to 27th of last month, targeting 1,001 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide, showed Lee leading with 41.3%. This was more than double the 19.3% support for Han, who ranked second.

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is expressing his position on President Yoon Suk-yeol's announcement of the lifting of martial law at the National Assembly in the early morning of the 4th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Within the ruling party, Han Dong-hoon was identified as the most likely candidate. Foreign media noted that Han quickly responded about 20 minutes after President Yoon’s martial law declaration, stating, "The president’s declaration of martial law is wrong. We will stop it together with the people," and assessed that this stance laid the groundwork to gain more popular support. Han is also demanding the president’s withdrawal from the party, the resignation of the entire cabinet, and the dismissal of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Regarding Cho Guk, they commented, "He shares many similarities with the Democratic Party led by Lee Jae-myung," and analyzed, "If Lee’s judicial risks materialize, Cho could become a strong candidate."

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