South Korea’s presidential campaign begins amid fresh political turmoil

South Korea’s presidential campaign formally kicks off Monday as fresh political divisions and turmoil grip the country.

The country’s conservative party on Saturday tried and failed to switch its candidate at the last minute, marking just the latest twist in the run-up to the June 3 election, which was triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his botched martial law declaration.

The economy is South Koreans’ top concern, polls show, but the main parties have so far elided on how they would address the cost of living, The Korea Herald wrote.

Instead, the conservatives’ chaotic campaign start signaled “opacity, confusion and personal ambition — a betrayal… of the electorate at large.”