Overview

• Exit polls by major broadcasters give Lee Jae-myung roughly 51.7 percent of the vote against 39.3 percent for conservative rival Kim Moon-soo.
• The snap vote followed former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal in April after a Constitutional Court ruling over his brief imposition of martial law.
• Voter participation reached about 79.4 percent, marking the highest turnout in a presidential contest since 1997.
• Kim Moon-soo conceded defeat and formally congratulated Lee as initial tallies appeared decisive.
• Lee steps into office facing ongoing bribery and election-law trials and pressing challenges including an economic downturn, U.S. tariff negotiations and tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program.