Opposition Leader in South Korea Racing Against Time for Presidency or Prison

south korea - Read more about Lee Jae-myung's urgent race for power and his struggle for presidency in South Korea

South Korea's opposition leader is in a hurry in the race for power, will he secure the presidency or end up in jail? An hour after President Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly declared a state of emergency, opposition leader Lee rushed to the parliament in Seoul. He encountered a blocked entrance and military helicopters flying overhead. The 61-year-old Lee climbed over a fence to enter the parliament building. Video footage he recorded at that moment and streamed live, where he stared directly into the camera, has been viewed tens of millions of times. The opposition leader had called on members to come to the parliament in the middle of the night, where a majority voted to lift the state of emergency. Less than six hours after the emergency was declared, it was revoked. It has been three weeks since Lee thwarted Yoon's failed coup attempt, which was an effort to sideline the opposition but backfired, leaving Lee in a stronger political position than ever according to analysts. His opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, holds a majority in the parliament, which voted for the impeachment of Yoon. The opposition is also seeking to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo for refusing to sign special bills to investigate Yoon. Opinion polls indicate that Lee is the frontrunner if presidential elections were to be held now. The public, enraged after the state of emergency declaration, shares Lee's goal of removing Yoon from power. The opposition is in a hurry because new elections will be held within sixty days once Yoon is ousted. However, Yoon will only leave office officially if the Constitutional Court rules that he must be impeached, which could take up to six months. Hence, Lee has urged for a prompt decision to minimize national chaos. The urgency is not only related to the political turmoil but also Lee's personal struggles as he faces multiple charges, jeopardizing his presidential aspirations. In November, Lee was convicted and sentenced to a one-year prison term, suspended for two years, for violating the election law by making false statements during a campaign. He also faces other corruption and bribery charges. Two years ago, Lee was accused of pressuring a businessman to send millions of dollars to North Korea in exchange for arranging a visit to the country and obtaining support for his political campaign. Lee has denied all allegations, claiming Yoon is trying to smear him. Lee's fate hangs in the balance. If the Supreme Court convicts him before new presidential elections, his hopes of presidency will evaporate. Experts believe he will try to prolong the legal proceedings as much as possible and expedite Yoon's departure. For Lee, it's a make or break situation between the presidency and prison.