South Koreans headed to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president, bringing to a close six months of political turmoil triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial imposition of martial law.
Voting began early, with elderly citizens among the first to cast their ballots at polling stations such as the one in Seoul’s Munrae-dong district.
“We were the first to arrive with the hope our candidate gets elected,” said 80-year-old Yu Bun-dol, who voted for the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate.
This snap election follows Yoon’s impeachment — the second for a conservative leader in less than a decade — after deploying armed soldiers to parliament, a move widely condemned and viewed as unconstitutional. The political fallout has left the country without a stable leader for months and shaken public trust in conservative governance.
More than a third of registered voters had already participated in early voting, and turnout is expected to be high, according to the National Election Commission.
Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung is the clear frontrunner, with the latest Gallup Korea poll placing him at 49% support, significantly ahead of the PPP’s Kim Moon-soo at 35%. Analysts believe this election is widely viewed as a referendum on Yoon’s administration and the broader direction of South Korea’s conservative movement.
“The martial law and impeachment crisis not only swayed moderates but also fractured the conservative base,” said Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women’s University.
With the conservative vote split further by the Reform Party’s Lee Jun-seok refusing to back down, many expect the Democratic Party — which already holds a parliamentary majority — to consolidate power under Lee Jae-myung.
South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term, but unlike regular elections, the winner of this snap vote will assume office immediately after the National Election Commission certifies the results.
“It will take far too long for the country to get back on its feet if we miss this chance,” said Jung Se-yoon, a retired teacher in Gwangju.
Observers say the focus now is less on whether Lee will win and more on whether he can secure over 50% of the vote — a result that would grant him a strong mandate to lead the nation out of its current political crisis.
What you should know
South Korea is voting in a snap presidential election after ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached for declaring martial law.
Liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung is expected to win, marking a major shift in power amid national demands for stability and reform.
