South Korea votes in pivotal election after martial law crisis

South Koreans headed to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new president, concluding six months of political upheaval sparked by former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 am, with early risers — mostly elderly voters—lining up in Seoul’s Munrae-dong neighbourhood. “We came early, hoping our candidate will win. This election is critical,” said 80-year-old Yu Bun-dol, who backed the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate.

The snap election was triggered after Yoon’s removal from office, making him the second consecutive conservative leader to be ousted, following Park Geun-hye in 2017. His decision to deploy armed troops to the National Assembly was widely condemned, leaving the country effectively without stable leadership during the opening months of US President Donald Trump’s second term.

With voter turnout expected to be high, over one-third of registered voters already cast their ballots during early voting last week, according to the National Election Commission.

Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party leads the race, with a recent Gallup poll giving him 49% support. Conservative Kim Moon-soo, from Yoon’s former PPP, trails at 35%. Analysts say the election is being viewed largely as a referendum on the previous administration.

“The martial law crisis alienated moderates and fractured the conservative base,” said Kang Joo-hyun, professor at Sookmyung Women’s University.

Conservative efforts to unify the right-wing vote faltered after third-party candidate Lee Jun-seok declined to align with Kim. Analysts warn that unless conservatives regroup, Lee’s party, which already holds a parliamentary majority, will face weak opposition.

In Gwangju, retired teacher Jung Se-yoon, 65, called the vote a “turning point.” If Lee secures over 50% of the vote, experts say, it would give him a strong mandate to govern immediately following the election's certification.