In a Facebook post on Saturday, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced his departure from the conservative People Power Party (PPP).
The declaration is made just before the June 3 snap election, when the liberal Democratic Party nominee Lee Jae-myung is significantly ahead of the PPP’s presidential candidate.
About 29% of respondents favored PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, while 51% favored frontrunner Lee, according to a Gallup Korea poll issued on Friday.
In an attempt to garner more support from moderate voters who disapprove of his conduct, party members had called for Yoon to leave the party. Yoon’s unexpected martial law in December and subsequent impeachment led to the emergency presidential election.
