It took longer than expected, but South Korea’s Constitutional Court finally pushed the flaming wreckage of Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidency overboard. His illegal declaration of martial law in December, apparently intended to be far more brutal than it turned out, revived terrible memories of the past and directly led to his ouster.

The election of his successor is set for June 3, almost two years early. The liberal opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is expected to triumph, led by former party leader Lee Jae-myung, a controversial figure who was nearly assassinated last year.

It took longer than expected, but South Korea’s Constitutional Court finally pushed the flaming wreckage of Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidency overboard. His illegal declaration of martial law in December, apparently intended to be far more brutal than it turned out, revived terrible memories of the past and directly led to his ouster.

The election of his successor is set for June 3, almost two years early. The liberal opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is expected to triumph, led by former party leader Lee Jae-myung, a controversial figure who was nearly assassinated last year.

However, no one expected Yoon’s self-immolation. Another political surprise is possible—and the consequences for the Korean Peninsula could be significant.

The decision has set the stage for another run by Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon three years ago. Polls favor the opposition, and Lee won an overwhelming primary victory in late April. However, he faces several legal charges that could preclude his candidacy. In March, the Seoul High Court overturned his sole conviction, reinstating his eligibility to run, but the Supreme Court overturned that verdict on May 1, returning it for the lower court’s reconsideration. He has vowed to remain in the race, but the unresolved cases could complicate his presidency if he is elected.

The outcome of the leadership contest within the ruling People Power Party (PPP) is less predictable. The country’s acting president for the past few months—Han Duck-soo, seen by many as a stabilizing figure—has resigned and announced his candidacy. A disillusioned former PPP legislator, Yoo Seong-min, also announced an independent run.

As in 2017, after the similar ouster of conservative President Park Geun-hye, the ruling party remains divided. Members only agree on preventing Lee’s election. On Saturday, the PPP narrowly chose Kim Moon-soo, a former cabinet minister who opposed Yoon’s ouster, over Han Dong-hoon, a former party leader who supported Yoon’s impeachment, as its candidate. But Kim then announced on May 6 that he was suspending his campaign for now—saying that........

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