The race to run South Korea may suddenly shift into high gear.
As early as next month, the Constitutional Court may rule on whether to uphold the impeachment of suspended President Park Geun-hye. If it does, it will trigger an election to replace her within 60 days.
Yet before that, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea — home to three of the five leading candidates — may need to hold two other votes: A primary, and then a runoff five days later if no candidate gets more than 50 percent. With Park's allies reeling, those contests may prove more crucial.