2017 South Korean Presidential Election (Tuesday May 9th)

Due to the impeachment of previous President Park Geun-Hye South Korea will hold a Presidential Election on Tuesday May 9th 2017, the 19th in the Nations History. The election works on a single round First-Past-The-Post system, so therefore the person who receives the most votes wins.

May 9th is also an unofficial Public Holiday, government buildings and school will be closed as will most big businesses. All businesses are required to provide staff with enough time in order to vote, however they aren’t required to close.

2017 South Korean Presidential Election Leading Candidates

Despite the fact there are 15 different names on the ballot paper in reality there are 2 likely winners in the upcoming election;

Moon Jae-In (Democratic Party of Korea)

The 64 year old former Human Rights Lawyer Moon Jae-In (문재인) previously ran for the Presidency in 2012. He is the favorite to win as the leader of the main opposition party. He is seen to be honest and an experienced politician.

An Cheol-Soo (People’s Party)

The 55 year old Doctor and founder of AhnLab, Inc. a Korean anti-virus company valued in the $100 Million’s. Seen as an early front-runner he hasn’t done well during debates, he has however gained a good amount of support from younger voters.

Best of The Rest

Sim Sang-Jung – the only female candidate has been impressive during the TV debates and has moved into the 3 or 4 spot in the running.
Hong Jun-Pyo – Leader of the ruling Liberty Korea Party, he’s faced an uphill battle to gain voters trust following the issues with the former president.
Yoo Seong-Min – Another candidate who has looked confident on TV. He’s well liked by anti-park but pro Liberty Party supporters.

Posters, Information and Links for the Election

Each voter receives an information pack with the key fact and figures for each of the 15 candidates. This includes tax and criminal records, education and more;