SEOUL, June 2 (UPI) -- The top candidates in the South Korean presidential race made their final campaign pitches to voters on Monday, one day before a snap election caused by ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law attempt and subsequent impeachment.
The liberal frontrunner, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, made several stops throughout the Seoul metropolitan area before an evening rally in Yeouido Park near the National Assembly.
Conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, meanwhile, traveled around the country on Monday, starting on Jeju Island and making appearances in Busan, Daegu and Daejeon before finishing with a rally in front of Seoul's City Hall.
Most polls show Lee holding a commanding lead over Kim, with a Gallup Korea survey last week giving him an edge of 49% to 35%.
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In their closing messages, both candidates framed the election as an existential choice for the future of South Korea in the wake of political turmoil spurred by Yoon's shocking martial law declaration exactly six months ago.
"Tomorrow, June 3rd, is the day when we will completely end the insurrection through voting," Lee said at his rally in Yeouido. "The Republic of Korea will now finally shake off the dark night of insurrection and welcome a new morning of hope."
The mood at the rally was festive, with thousands of supporters cheering and waving glow sticks and blue balloons to a K-pop soundtrack.
Lee's choice of location for the final stop on his campaign sent an unmistakable message -- the park is just blocks away from the National Assembly, where lawmakers gathered in the early hours of the morning to overturn Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law decree.
Lee, who was a sitting member of parliament at the time, livestreamed his own race to the voting chamber, climbing the building's walls to avoid armed troops and urging citizens to turn out in support.
"It is difficult to even imagine what would have happened if we had not prevented martial law at that time," Lee said. "Tomorrow's choice will determine whether the rebellion ends or continues, whether the people's livelihoods recover or collapse, whether the economy grows or the economy is destroyed."
"Voting is the most powerful weapon to end this rebellion and complete the revolution of light," he added. "The vote is stronger than a bullet."
Alongside the fallout from Yoon's impeachment, South Korean voters are worried about the economy, which is facing deep uncertainty around the 25% tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose on the export-driven country.
Geopolitical concerns, including an increasingly dangerous North Korea, and a looming demographic crisis caused by the world's lowest birth rate are also on voters' minds this election season.
But for many at Lee's rally, the top issue was safeguarding the country's democracy.
"Tomorrow we will vote, so tonight we had to get together to show that we trust Lee Jae-myung -- he is trying to work for our democracy and freedom," rallygoer Kim Young-hwa, 47, said. "We can't trust the [People Power Party] after what Yoon Suk Yeol did."
At his own final rally, Kim Moon-soo apologized for Yoon's martial law and promised a fresh political start for the deeply divided country.
"Martial law was wrong, and there were many other things done wrong," he said on a grassy plaza in front of City Hall. "I promise that Korean politics in the future will be different from the past."
Kim warned that Lee would create a "monstrous dictatorship" if he took power. He also took a swipe at his opponent's habit of wearing bulletproof vests and speaking behind protective glass on the campaign trail.
In early 2024, Lee was stabbed in the neck during an appearance in Busan and underwent emergency surgery. His campaign has maintained heightened security amid ongoing death threats.
"I don't need a bulletproof vest," Kim said. "You are all my bulletproof vests. I don't need bulletproof glass. My conscience is bulletproof glass."
Polls are set to open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and the winner will be sworn in the following day, without the typical two-month transition period due to Yoon's removal from office in April.
Nearly 35% of voters already cast their ballots during a two-day early voting period last week.
