Seoul: Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung officially registered his candidacy with the state-run election watchdog on Saturday for the upcoming June 3 presidential election, as confirmed by his officials. Lee, a former leader of the liberal DP, is currently leading the polls and is seen as the strong front-runner in the race.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee Jae-myung has been a notable figure due to his past hard-line comments about Japan and his support for fostering closer ties with China. However, in a shift seemingly aimed at appealing to centrist voters, Lee has recently expressed strong support for the alliance with the United States and the trilateral partnership with Japan.

The political landscape for the June election is seeing potential shifts, with attention being drawn to former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Han has recently joined the People Power Party, positioning himself as a potential replacement for Kim Moon-soo as the party’s candidate, thereby emerging as a possible game changer in the upcoming election.