South Korea's ex-president Yoon leaves party ahead of snap election

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol parted ways with his conservative party on Saturday as the group prepared for early elections called in the wake of his impeachment linked to an attempt to declare martial law.

The People Power Party (PPP) faced growing calls to remove Yoon from its ranks ahead of the June 3 vote, especially since opinion polls indicated it was falling behind the leading opposition party.

"I am officially resigning from the People Power Party today," Yoon, who is currently facing criminal charges of insurrection, announced on Facebook.

He encouraged voters to back his former labor minister, Kim Moon-soo, who is the PPP’s candidate for president.

Kim gained widespread attention as the sole cabinet member who declined to apologize for not stopping the martial law attempt.

This week, Yoon expressed for the first time that he was "truly sorry to the people who are suffering" due to the suspension of civilian governance.

His December declaration of martial law—justified by him as essential to end legislative deadlock and eliminate pro-North Korean "anti-state" elements—deepened political rifts in South Korea, even as it drew backing from far-right religious groups and conservative YouTube personalities.

Pro-Yoon demonstrations escalated into violence in January when extremist backers forcibly entered a courthouse in Seoul. This week, four of those involved received prison sentences.

Yoon faced allegations of indirectly inciting the unrest after he warned that the nation was "in danger" and vowed to stand by his hardline supporters "to the very end."

On Saturday, Yoon described the upcoming snap election as the "final opportunity to stop totalitarian dictatorship and safeguard liberal democracy and the rule of law."

In response, the Democratic Party labeled Yoon "shameless" for appealing to "the very liberal democracy he himself undermined."

Meanwhile, PPP candidate Kim expressed respect for Yoon’s departure and promised to "work towards making our party more united and innovative."

A Gallup poll published on Friday shows that Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, who is currently facing several criminal trials, holds a lead with 51% support, while the PPP’s Kim follows with 29%.