South Korea’s main conservative candidate has conceded defeat in the country’s snap election and congratulated liberal rival Lee Jae-myung who is set to become president.
Kim Moon Soo, candidate of the People Power Party (PPP), said he “humbly accepts [the] people’s choice” after projections showed Mr Lee was expected to win the election.
Projections showed that with 70% of ballots counted, Mr Lee had won 48.53% of the vote.
An exit poll from three of South Korea’s broadcasters on Monday night also put the Democratic Party leader on 51.7% and Mr Kim on 39.3%
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Lee said he would seek to unite the country and find a way to coexist with North Korea through communication and dialogue.
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.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
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”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Mr Lee, a former human rights lawyer, had previously called the snap election “judgment day” against the martial law decision, and accused the PPP of condoning the attempt by not fighting harder to oust Mr Yoon.
Park Chan-dae, acting leader of the Democratic Party, told South Korean broadcaster KBS that “I think people made a fiery judgment against the insurrection regime”.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
