When then-President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law decree plunged South Korea into chaos, it plummeted sales at Park Myung-Ja's diner in Jechon and became a turning point for many voters in the town.

South Korea votes June 3 to elect a new president after Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, with liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung facing conservative Kim Moon-soo in a pivotal race shaped by political upheaval.

The two main candidates have been largely silent about equality for women. A polarising subject, it had helped Yoon into power in 2022 as he vowed to defend men who felt sidelined in a world that they saw as too feminist. And a third candidate, who is popular among young men for his anti-feminist stance, has been making headlines.

South Korea's leading presidential hopefuls were crisscrossing the country on the final day of campaigning on Monday before converging on Seoul, vowing to revive an ailing economy and put months of turmoil over a failed martial law attempt behind them.

In South Korea’s high-stakes presidential campaign, K-pop isn’t just a cultural backdrop — it’s a political strategy.