South Korean voters will elect the country’s next president today, in a race that has been marked by surprises, scandals and smear campaigns.
Among the presidential candidates are the standard-bearer of the ruling Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol, a former chief prosecutor and political neophyte who is representing the conservative People Power Party.
The winner will face mounting challenges including handling the effects of South Korea’s worst wave of COVID-19 infections, deepening inequality and surging housing prices, and navigating the increasingly tense rivalry between China and the United States.
Voters are looking for a leader who can root out corruption and initiate negotiations to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions
The two men are vying to succeed incumbent President Moon Jae-in, who is constitutionally barred from seeking reelection.