South Korea kicked off the official start of campaigning for the upcoming presidential election on Monday, with the two leading contenders outlining how they plan to approach North Korea in a series of policy pledges.

Lee Jae-myung of the opposition Democratic Party (DP) and Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) will face off in the June 3 election, with Lee heavily favored to win amid public backlash against impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol and his party.

As he has done so far on the campaign trail, Lee shied away from a dedicated focus on the DPRK in his