Acting president holds ministerial meeting on support measures for June 3 election

Acting President Lee Ju-ho presided over a ministerial meeting Monday to discuss support measures and preparations for the June 3 election as candidates kicked off their official campaigns, his office said.

The meeting, attended by officials from the education, foreign, justice, defense, interior and culture ministries, as well as police and other agencies, focused on ways to deal with illegal acts related to the upcoming election.

Lee instructed officials to maintain public discipline to ensure a fair election, vowing to “sternly” respond to illegal acts that undermine the election’s fairness with a “zero-tolerance” policy.

“This election has to become a historic turning point to accomplish national unity beyond a simple process to elect a new leader for the country,” he said. “It must be conducted fairly and transparently more than ever so that the people’s trust is not shaken.”

The government plans to support the election watchdog in efforts to respond to illegal activities related to the election, including the dissemination of false information, election-related violence, bribery and deep fakes.

Seven candidates have made their bids official for the election, including front-runner Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo.