Fear campaign works as Lee Jae-myung's legal troubles erode support

Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung gives a double thumbs-up from behind bulletproof glass during his campaign speech in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

As the June 3 presidential election draws near, candidates have intensified their attacks on rivals amid a tightening race, particularly between the two leading contenders.

Frontrunner Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) accused his rival, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), of being "a collaborator in the Yoon Suk Yeol-led insurrection," claiming Kim would simply continue the flawed legacy of the Yoon administration. “Kim has been shielding Yoon and has ties with far-right groups,” Lee alleged during a televised presidential debate held on Friday.

In response, Kim argued that Lee, if elected, would become a strongman intent on controlling all three branches of government, the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. “Voters are faced with a choice between a totalitarian regime under Lee or a democracy poised for progress,” Kim said during a press conference on Thursday at the PPP's headquarters in Seoul, where he announced his campaign pledges on political reform.

Kim further attacked Lee’s integrity, calling him “a crime kingpin” who is currently facing five criminal trials. “He’s campaigning in a bulletproof vest. If elected, Lee will seek a ‘bulletproof presidency,’ using his office to shield himself from prosecution,” Kim said, accusing Lee of planning to exert control over the executive, legislative and judiciary branches.

The two candidates' increasingly harsh rhetoric reflects the tightening race, as shown in recent poll results. A Gallup Korea poll released Friday showed Lee with 45 percent support, Kim with 36 percent and Lee Jun-seok of the minor Reform Party with 10 percent. Compared to the previous week, Lee’s support fell by six percentage points, while Kim’s rose by seven, narrowing the gap to single digits.

The survey, conducted between May 20 and 22 among 1,002 eligible voters, has a margin of error of plus and minus 3.1 percentage points. Other polls released last week mirrored this trend, showing Lee's support heading in a downward direction, while Kim’s numbers continue to climb.

The shifting poll numbers suggest some voters are withdrawing support from the DPK candidate. While Lee’s core supporters remain firmly behind him, other voters are considering alternatives, including Kim or Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, as the election day nears.

Public survey results are available on the website of the National Election Commission.

DPK candidate Lee Jae-myung gives a campaign speech from behind bulletproof glass in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The question remains: what made some voters change their minds?

Lee Hyun-chool, a professor of political science at Konkuk University in Seoul, said the declining support for DPK candidate Lee may reflect growing public concern. As the election draws near, he noted that voters are paying closer attention to Lee’s ongoing legal troubles and are increasingly comparing him to PPP candidate Kim, who has so far remained free of major ethical or financial controversies.

“Lee is facing multiple criminal charges, and if elected, he would be the first president to take office while five criminal cases are still pending,” Professor Lee said. “This raises serious questions among voters about whether he can effectively govern and focus on complex state affairs without being distracted by legal battles.”

He also argued that Lee’s earlier lead in the polls was inflated. “Just because he was ahead by a wide margin doesn't mean that he enjoyed overwhelming popularity,” the professor explained. “His rise in support was largely a result of the political chaos following former President Yoon’s martial law declaration. Lee benefited from being the only nationally recognized figure in the DPK at that time.”

With Yoon now fading from public attention and Kim’s dramatic emergence as the PPP candidate, voters are reassessing their choices. “We’re now seeing Lee’s support slip as voters compare two candidates who differ sharply in terms of personal ethics and public trust,” Lee said.

While Kim is largely seen as free from controversy in terms of assets and ethical conduct, Lee continues to face scrutiny for his legal issues and past actions. “His involvement in five criminal cases is making voters hesitant and undecided,” Lee said.

Interestingly, Lee leads in two very different kinds of polls. He remains the frontrunner in general presidential preference surveys, indicating that he is still the most popular candidate. However, he also topped a separate MBC-EMBRAIN poll conducted in April in which respondents were asked to name the candidate they considered most unfit for the presidency. In that survey, 37 percent named Lee, far ahead of Kim, who received 12 percent. This poll was conducted before Kim was officially named the PPP’s candidate.

On the policy front, Lee’s proposals — especially his signature pledge to implement a universal basic income — have sparked skepticism. Critics have labeled his platform as radical, unrealistic and populist. On Thursday, Lee pledged to establish a national committee tasked with ensuring that all citizens meet the basic level concerning living standards. He described his vision of a “basic society,” which he said goes far beyond a traditional welfare state.

“It’s a society where everyone is guaranteed a basic standard of living — not just the constitutional rights like the pursuit of happiness and human dignity,” Lee said.

However, analysts warn that, if carried out, such spending-intensive policies could significantly worsen Korea’s national debt.

Beyond policy, Lee’s personal history continues to raise concerns among voters. Allegations involving corruption and an illegal money transfer to North Korea have further damaged his public image, reinforcing skepticism about his suitability for the presidency.

Holding a girl, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo reacts to supporters during his campaign in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Saturday. Yonhap

The PPP has actively leveraged growing public concern over the DPK candidate in an attempt to boost support for its own candidate. Seeking a last-minute upset in the tightening race, Kim’s campaign has sought to portray Lee as unfit for the presidency and appealed to undecided voters by warning of dire national consequences should Lee be elected.

During the second televised presidential debate on Friday, Kim directly targeted Lee, raising alarm over his past record and ongoing legal controversies. “Several individuals involved in the large-scale land development projects you oversaw as mayor of Seongnam are now in prison. Six others have died under suspicious circumstances,” Kim said.

Kim further escalated the attack by disclosing a private meeting with Lee’s older brother, reportedly arranged at the brother’s request. Kim said that Lee had verbally abused his sister-in-law and tried to have his brother institutionalized against his will.

Lee dismissed the accusations, calling them personal family matters irrelevant to the presidential debate.

Six individuals connected to Lee and the controversial Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development projects in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, died while under prosecutorial investigation — some by suicide. The PPP has described these incidents as “suspicious deaths” and demanded further explanation.

In November, Rep. Kang Seung-kyoo of the PPP proposed establishing a party-led task force to investigate the deaths, claiming they were closely linked to Lee’s legal troubles. “Lee has a criminal history with six prior convictions ranging from minor to serious offenses. Now, six individuals connected to his cases have met tragic ends under questionable circumstances,” Kang said. “A man like Lee belongs in prison, not the National Assembly.”

Several PPP members supported Kang’s proposal to launch a formal investigation into the deaths. His remarks came just one day after a district court sentenced Lee to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for violating the Public Official Election Act. That ruling was later overturned by an appellate court in March, but the Supreme Court reversed that decision again on May 1, sending the case back to the Seoul High Court for further review.

Momentum for the PPP's investigative push stalled, however, following Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration on Dec. 3, which shifted the national focus to political turmoil and disrupted legislative proceedings.