South Korea: Liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung wins snap presidential election
The election comes after former president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and dismissed following his declaration of martial law in December.
Tuesday 3 June 2025 19:36, UK
The Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung has won South Korea's snap presidential election - six months after the country was briefly thrown into martial law.
At a news conference before the official result was declared, Mr Lee said he would seek to unite the country.
"Let us move forward with hope and make a fresh start from this moment on," he said.
"Though we may have clashed for some time, even those who did not support us are still our fellow citizens of ."
Kim Moon Soo, candidate of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), said he "humbly accepts [the] people's choice" and congratulated Mr Lee.
With around 95% of ballots counted, Mr Lee led with 48.86% of votes to Mr Kim's 41.98%.
Earlier, an exit poll from three of South Korea's broadcasters put the Democratic Party leader on 51.7% and Mr Kim on 39.3%
It caps off a tumultuous six months for South Korea, with the country plunged into crisis after former president Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declared martial law on 3 December.
Troops had entered the National Assembly building as police and protesters clashed outside after he made the announcement, only for him to reverse the move six hours later.
Mr Yoon was impeached later that month, and his dismissal was upheld in April after South Korea's constitutional court ruled the conservative leader "violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops," triggering the snap election.
Mr Lee, a former human rights lawyer, will be sworn in as president immediately for a single full term of five years without the usual two-month transition period.
He had previously called the snap election "judgement day" against the martial law decision, and accused the PPP of condoning the attempt by not fighting harder to oust Mr Yoon.
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Park Chan-dae, acting leader of the Democratic Party, told South Korea broadcaster KBS that #"people made a fiery judgement against the insurrection regime".