Kim Moon-soo (1st R), presidential candidate of South Korea's conservative People Power Party, shakes hands with a stall owner during a campaign at a market in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (NEWSIS via Xinhua)

SEOUL, May 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December.

Registering with the National Election Commission were seven candidates, including Lee Jae-myung of the majority liberal Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the second-biggest conservative People Power Party.

Lee, who lost the 2022 presidential election to the ousted Yoon by the country's narrowest margin of 0.73 percentage points, launched his campaign at a square in central Seoul, where protesters had gathered to demand the removal of Yoon from office.

The human rights lawyer-turned-politician maintained his position as a presidential frontrunner in the June 3 election, taking a big lead over his conservative archrival.

Lee garnered a support rate of 54.0 percent in a hypothetical three-way matchup with Kim and Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party, according to local pollster Flower Research.

Kim won an approval score of 20.6 percent, followed by the minor party candidate with 6.9 percent.

The result was based on a poll of 2,002 voters conducted between Friday and Saturday. It had a plus and minus 2.2 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. ■

Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of South Korea's majority liberal Democratic Party, cheer during a campaign for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)

Lee Jae-myung (C), presidential candidate of South Korea's majority liberal Democratic Party, attends a campaign for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)

Kim Moon-soo (R, front), presidential candidate of South Korea's conservative People Power Party, is pictured at a campaign in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (NEWSIS via Xinhua)

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of South Korea's majority liberal Democratic Party, attends a campaign for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)

Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of South Korea's conservative People Power Party, speaks at a campaign in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (NEWSIS via Xinhua)

Lee Jae-myung (C), presidential candidate of South Korea's majority liberal Democratic Party, attends a campaign for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)

Kim Moon-soo (C), presidential candidate of South Korea's conservative People Power Party, is pictured at a campaign in Seoul, South Korea, May 12, 2025. South Korea on Monday kicked off an official campaign for the snap presidential election on June 3, caused by the ouster of former conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol from office over his botched martial law bid last December. (NEWSIS via Xinhua)