39-year-old lawmaker Lee Jun-seok announces intention to run for president in early elections (South Korea)

Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the South Korean opposition New Reform Party said he would run for president if the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol is upheld by the Constitutional Court and an early presidential election is called.
However, Rep. Lee is currently 39 years old, and in order to run for president, he must be 40 on election day. Therefore, if the results of the impeachment are announced in February next year, he will not be able to run in the election.
On the 14th, after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against President Yoon, Rep. Lee appeared on a news program on the South Korean TV station JTBC.
When asked if he had plans to run for president, Rep. Lee said, "I'm seriously considering it." In addition, Rep. Lee said, "From a political party perspective, the Reform Party will of course run for president.
"I believe that a political party cannot develop unless it has a vision and competes with other parties," he said, emphasizing the significance of running for office.
Rep. Lee was born on March 31, 1985 and is currently 39 years old. The constitution does not allow him to run for president.
The qualifications for a candidate to run for president are stipulated as "eligible to run for election as a member of the National Assembly and 40 years of age on the day of the election." The possibility of Rep. Lee running for president depends on the timing of the Constitutional Court's impeachment certification.
In South Korea, if the president dies, resigns, or the election is invalidated, a presidential election must be held within 60 days of the reason being established.
If the Constitutional Court's impeachment decision is announced before the 1st, Rep. Lee will not be eligible to run in the presidential election due to age restrictions. On the other hand, if the impeachment decision is announced and the presidential election is held after April, he will be able to run.
"If the results of the impeachment are announced before the end of January next year, I will not be able to run in the presidential election, but if the results are announced in February, I will be able to participate," Rep. Lee said.
On the same day, Rep. Lee also hinted at the possibility of running for president in an interview with BBC Korea.
"If certain conditions (such as age, ability, etc.) are met, I intend to play a role in the presidential election," he said, adding, "The younger generation, who can handle issues between artificial intelligence (AI) and humans due to the current advances in science and technology, will come to the forefront of politics."
I have to appear in the show, so I'm taking on the role of flag bearer in my 40s, and although it's really tough, I definitely want to bring about change."