South Korea faces high-stakes election; fears over China, North Korea and US ties shape voter concerns

Early South Korean voters reportedly turned out in record numbers this week as the nation awaits the June 3 presidential election in what has been described as a pivotal race amid ongoing threats posed by China and recent rocky relations with the U.S. due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. 

The leader of the progressive Democratic Party of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, is reported to be leading the race as the frontrunner, but he has raised some eyebrows after he vowed to take a "pragmatic" approach to geopolitics, chiefly by easing previously hawkish positions on China and lessening dependence on the U.S.

"The alliance with the U.S. is the foundation of South Korea’s diplomacy," Lee said during a debate earlier this month, Bloomberg reported.

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Lee said the U.S.-South Korea-Japan partnership should be expanded, but he also said Seoul can’t be "unilaterally bound" to relations with Washington, particularly when it comes to U.S. geopolitical rivalries. 

"We should not neglect ties with China or Russia. We need to manage them appropriately, and there’s no need to have an unnecessarily hostile approach like now," Lee also said during the debate, the South China Morning Post reported.

Former California GOP Congresswoman Michelle Steel, who was born in South Korea, explained that China's "bullying" behavior in the region leaves much for the global community to be concerned about. 

"China [poses] the biggest threat, and they already told the whole world that they're going to take over Taiwan," she told Fox News Digital. "When they take over, where are they going to go [to] next? South Korea or Japan? The Philippines?

"China has been always fighting to expand." 

Foreign policy has taken center stage in the presidential race after conservative former President Yoon Suk Yeol threw the nation into political chaos after his December 2024 impeachment.

Yoon was ardently aligned with the U.S. when it came to opposing Chinese aggression in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, where Beijing has been accused of expanding, militarizing and blocking freedom of navigation in contested territorial zones. 

Lee’s chief challenger, Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), a former labor minister under Yoon, pushed back on the democratic challenger’s position when it comes to China and the U.S.

But Lee has rejected the idea he is not prioritizing the U.S. alliance and reportedly said during this month’s debate, "There’s no need to worry. The South Korea-U.S. alliance is important and should continue to grow and strengthen."

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Though he did caution that certain steps taken by the Trump administration, including the 25% tariffs announced earlier this year and the potential withdrawal of troops has "eroded" the relationship. 

 "If the U.S. continues this way — eroding its soft power and the trust of other nations — it won’t be sustainable. At some point, brakes will be applied," Lee said. "Until then, endurance is key."

Steel argued the "South Korean people understand the importance of a strong relationship with the United States."

"Whatever the outcome of the election, South Korean leaders should embrace President Trump and look to make an incredible trade deal that will benefit everyone," she added. 

But Lee has not convinced all who are weary of his view on U.S. relations, including David Eunkoo Kim, founder and president of the Truth Forum, a conservative youth organization founded at Seoul National University.

"This election is widely seen as a pivotal moment for South Korea because the stakes — both domestically and geopolitically — are extraordinarily high," Kim said.

"Throughout his political career, (Lee) has consistently aligned himself with both pro-North Korean and pro-Chinese agendas. He has been implicated in sending funds to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions, and his deference to China has been nothing short of submissive," Kim said.

Kim was referring to Lee's indictment for an illegal cash transfer scheme to North Korea, though Lee denies the accusations and has argued they are politically motivated.

During this month’s debate, Lee's opponents claimed Lee is also a "North Korea risk" as concerns about Pyongyang’s military movements continue to escalate, Radio Free Asia reported.

Lee maintains he wants to ease tensions with North Korea by engaging in peaceful diplomacy. 

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But David Eunkoo Kim told Fox News Digital Lee’s legal troubles are another geopolitical vulnerability.

"With multiple criminal investigations looming, he has every incentive to cling to power at all costs — even if that means aligning South Korea more closely with Beijing," he said. "And this concern is not theoretical. 

"China is already aggressively asserting influence in the region."