What to know about South Korea’s presidential poll, months after political chaos

After half a year of political turmoil, uncertainty, and division, South Koreans went to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president to succeed Yoon Suk Yeol, the disgraced former leader who threw the country into crisis by declaring martial law last December.

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is projected to win, according to a joint exit poll released Tuesday night by Korean broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS.

The poll estimates that Lee, of the liberal Democratic Party, will win in a landslide with 51.7% of the vote. His main rival, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP), is projected to receive 39.3%. Official results have not yet been announced.

This election holds particular weight for South Korea — a key US ally and economic powerhouse in Asia — which has struggled through months of instability, a rotating cast of interim leaders, and an impeachment trial following Yoon’s attempted power grab.

The country’s economy has also taken a hit, amid a looming global recession and US President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war.

Two contrasting candidates have pledged to lead South Korea’s recovery: a human rights lawyer-turned-politician with multiple legal troubles, and a former labor activist-turned-conservative minister.

“The country is suffering and the emotions are so hard that I came out early in the morning with the hope that we could achieve an overwhelming victory to ease this even a little bit,” said voter Jung Han-byeol at a polling station in Seoul.

Another voter, Kim Dong-wan, echoed the urgency: “My heart has been heavy since December. Rather than for politics, I really wanted to vote for this country.”

Main Candidates

Lee Jae-myung, 60, is the frontrunner and candidate for the liberal Democratic Party.

Born into poverty and once an underage factory worker, Lee became a human rights lawyer before entering politics. He has served as a mayor, governor, and lawmaker, narrowly losing to Yoon in the 2022 presidential race.

In January 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt when he was stabbed in the neck during a public event.

He returned to the spotlight on December 3, 2024 — the night Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops to parliament. Lee was one of several lawmakers who stormed the legislature to hold an emergency vote overturning the decree.

He even livestreamed himself climbing over a fence to enter the building — footage that went viral and was viewed tens of millions of times.

On the campaign trail, Lee has promised sweeping reforms, including stricter limits on presidential power and constitutional changes to allow two four-year terms instead of one five-year term.

He also vows to stabilize the economy, denuclearize North Korea, boost small businesses, and expand the AI industry.

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However, Lee faces ongoing legal troubles — including multiple trials for bribery and a property development scandal. He was also convicted of violating election law in a separate case now under appeal.

Lee denies all wrongdoing. In a December interview with CNN, he said he had been charged “without any evidence or basis,” claiming the allegations were politically motivated.

His main opponent is Kim Moon-soo of the conservative PPP.

Kim, 73, is a former labor minister and long-time conservative figure. As a university student, he led anti-establishment protests and was jailed for his activism. He later joined conservative politics and entered the race after internal party disputes.

Initially, the PPP selected Kim as their candidate, then dropped him for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, before reversing course after Kim filed legal objections.

Despite these setbacks, Kim vowed to unite the party and lead a “big tent” coalition to challenge Lee.

He promises to overhaul the judiciary and election systems, reduce taxes, loosen business regulations, and invest in nuclear energy and new technologies.

Other candidates include Lee Jun-seok, a former PPP leader who launched the conservative New Reform Party.

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