South Korea heads to polls for new president

South Koreans began voting Tuesday in a snap presidential election, concluding months of political upheaval following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial imposition of martial law and subsequent impeachment, AFP reported.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 a.m. local time in districts across the country, including Seoul’s Munrae-dong area, where a small group of elderly voters queued early to cast their ballots.

“We were the first to arrive with the hope our candidate gets elected, and because the presidential election is the most important,” Yu Bun-dol, 80, told AFP, adding she was voting for the conservative People Power Party candidate.

Millions had already voted during the two-day early voting period last week, with more than one-third of registered voters participating, according to the National Election Commission.

The election is widely seen as a referendum on the conservative administration led by Yoon, who was impeached after deploying troops to parliament in a move that drew widespread condemnation.

His downfall has plunged the conservative People Power Party into crisis, as analysts note growing disillusionment among moderates and even core supporters.

Leading the race is liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, who holds a significant lead in most opinion polls.

A recent Gallup survey showed 49 percent of respondents favoring Lee, compared to 35 percent for conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo. Lee’s party already holds a majority in the National Assembly.

The fallout from martial law, which has left South Korea effectively leaderless for the first months of US President Donald Trump’s second term, is the top concern for voters, experts said.

Polls show the election is largely viewed as a referendum on the previous administration,” Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women’s University, told AFP.

The conservative bloc has faced additional setbacks, including Kim’s failure to unite with Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, raising concerns over a divided right-wing vote.

Yoon’s impeachment marked the second time in under a decade that a conservative president has been removed from office, following Park Geun-hye’s ouster in 2017.

The series of scandals has severely damaged the image of conservative leadership in the country.

“Conservative politics was associated with competent governance, but it’s now hard to argue that they remain capable,” said Kang Won-taek, a political science professor at Seoul National University.

Unlike regular elections that allow for a transition period, the winner of this snap vote will take office immediately after the National Election Commission certifies the results. Many South Koreans, weary of months of interim leadership, hope the vote will bring stability.

In Gwangju, a stronghold of liberal sentiment, retired teacher Jung Se-yoon, 65, described the election as a critical moment. “It will take far too long for the country to get back on its feet if we miss this chance,” she said.

Voter turnout is expected to be high, with political observers watching not just for a win, but the margin. “The focus won’t be on whether Lee will win, but on whether he will secure more than 50 percent of the vote,” said Bae Kang-hoon, co-founder of the political think tank Valid. “If he does, it would give him a significant boost in momentum to govern as president.”

South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term. The outcome of today’s vote is set to chart the country’s course following one of the most turbulent periods in its democratic history.