South Korea presidential elections: Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung projected to win, show exit polls

South Korea elections: Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung is projected to win South Korea's snap presidential election, according to a joint exit poll released Tuesday by major broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS.

The forecast comes just two months after the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office following controversy over his brief imposition of martial law.

The exit poll shows Lee securing 51.7% of the vote, placing him ahead of his main conservative opponent, Kim Moon Soo, who garnered 39.3%.

Not just the exit polls, but pre-election surveys also suggested Lee, the Democratic Party candidate, poised for an easy win, riding on deep public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon’s martial law debacle. Kim has struggled to win over moderate, swing voters as his People Power Party remains in a quagmire of internal feuding over how to view Yoon’s actions, reported The Associated Press.

The 80 per cent figure marks the highest voter turnout for a presidential election in South Korea.

The past six months saw large crowds of people rallying in the streets to either denounce or support Yoon, while a leadership vacuum caused by Yoon’s impeachment and ensuing formal dismissal rattled the country’s high-level diplomatic activities and financial markets.

Rising from the background of a child laborer, Lee built his public image on a compelling rags-to-riches journey. He gained national attention with his sharp critiques of South Korea’s conservative establishment and his strong advocacy for a more assertive foreign policy, as per AP.

Lee Jae-myung wants to move away from Yoon’s confrontational approach towards North Korea and re-engage with the South’s nuclear-armed neighbour. He has conceded, though, that it will be “very difficult” to quickly resume summits with the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, reported The Guardian.