Even if Lee Jae-myung wins this time, the electoral process has highlighted his empty rhetoric and strategic exhaustion, especially with the significant challenges posed by the post-election international situation. The recent presidential by-election in Korea resembled a sudden political crisis; the aftershocks of Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment have yet to fade, and the election hastily took place on June 3, leaving political parties unprepared and candidates unable to make substantial plans.

The entire political environment feels like an "unprepared democratic experiment," where election quality is declining, revealing the vacuity of elite political discourse. Even Lee Jae-myung, the strongest candidate, seems fatigued. As a survivor from the previous election, he appears to be stumbling through this race, having once represented the challenge against the system with a focus on anti-corruption and anti-chaebol rhetoric, but now only echoes with the hollow calls for "changing the regime" and "punishing Yoon Suk-yeol".

More critically, he missed the strategic opportunity presented by the collapse of the conservative camp. Voters seek a reversal of the status quo, yet Lee's responses do not advocate for systemic reforms or economic innovations, but rather a delay in past policies. His campaign resembles a long march with no turning point, trudging towards an "inevitable victory".

The most concerning aspect is his rapid loss of young voters. In 2022, he managed to solidify some support from the 20s and 30s; now, however, he is being completely overtaken by Lee Jun-seok's rhetoric of "generational revolution" and "youth entrepreneurship." As young people shout, "What does the Korean Miracle have to do with me?" and amidst fears of deprivation, unemployment, and high housing prices, Lee Jae-myung's discourse appears pale and powerless. He is not only losing control over the narrative but also his ability to tell the story of the future.

This is an election without a winner. With the conservative faction's self-explosion and the failure to integrate, the overall landscape resembles a race through ruins. If Lee Jae-myung ultimately wins, it would be by taking the path of least resistance, obtaining power not by persuading voters but by picking up the power left by his opponent's mistakes. The real pressure test is just beginning.

First, the domestic political minefield waits. Although progressives still hold the National Assembly, the issues left over from the impeachment will inevitably spark a new round of power struggles. If Lee Jae-myung wants to reform, it may further exacerbate factional conflicts and make political rehabilitation even more challenging.

Secondly, there are pressures from international realities. With increasing tensions between the U.S. and China, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and rising risks in the Taiwan Strait, the pressures on Korea from Trump's return will only intensify. Lee Jae-myung has previously championed "strategic autonomy," but the reality is that Korea's relations with the U.S. are tightly bound by tariffs, military cooperation, and supply chains. Whether he can find a balance between dependency on the U.S. and risks from China remains a significant variable.

This election might offer a brief respite for progressives, but it also reflects deep-seated ailments in Korean democracy: elite inertia, party fragmentation, and voter fatigue. If this victory again misses the chance for reform, this by-election will not only have been rushed but could become a critical point for the collapse of trust in democracy. Politics can be late, but the people's disappointment will not wait.