International Analysis

What Do South Korea’s Elections Mean for Taiwan?

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By TaiwanPlus

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Host: Albert Chiu South Korea is scheduled to have early elections on June 3, 2025, following the impeachment of ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee Jae-myung of the opposition Democratic Party has led most opinion polls in the run-up to election day. Lee has sought to appeal to the youth vote, with a focus on tech jobs and K-Pop, while his rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Party has pitched himself as better able to negotiate a favorable U.S. trade deal with Trump. Meanwhile, South Korea’s traditional allies remain nervous about Lee’s allegedly more pro-Chinese stance. Which of these issues will persuade more voters? And what are the geopolitical ramifications of South Korea’s election? In this episode, we discuss the South Korean election campaign, the key issues, and what it means for Taiwan. Our guests: Jinhyeok Jang - National Sun Yat-sen University Graduate Institute of Political Science Associate Professor Tsai Jung-hsiang - National Chung-Cheng University Political Science Professor