South Korea Presidential Election 2025 Results Live: Conservative candidate Kim concedes defeat as Lee Jae-myung wins presidency

South Korea’s likely next president Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday hailed voters’ “great decision” and vowed not to “disappoint” them as exit polls and major TV networks projected he had won a snap election.

“I will do my utmost to fulfil the great responsibility and mission entrusted to me, so as not to disappoint the expectations of our people,” Lee told reporters outside his home.

이재명 후보의 대통령 당선을 국민과 함께 축하합니다. pic.twitter.com/GW56MvjKun

— 문재인 (@moonriver365) June 3, 2025

Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of South Korea’s Democratic Party, react after Lee Jae-myung was announced to be the winner of the presidential election by South Korea’s main broadcasters KBS, MBC, SBS and JTBC, outside of National Assembly, in Seoul, South Korea. Reuters

South Korea voted on Tuesday (June 3) to elect its new president. Lee Jae–myung of the Democratic Party is the frontrunner to win the polls against his main rival, the conservative Kim Moon-soo.

A joint exit poll by three Korean broadcasters shows Lee bagging 51.7 per cent of the vote, while Kim trailed with 39.3 per cent. The victor will succeed the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, whose failed attempt to impose martial law plunged the East Asian country into political turmoil.

The vote count has reached 50.3%.

According to the National Election Commission, Lee currently has 49% of the vote, while Kim has 42.6%.

Presently, Lee Jae-myung is in route to Yeouido.

He is slated to visit the Democratic Party’s headquarters at the National Assembly and give a message from a stage set up near the Assembly.

Lee Jae-myung shook hands with supporters outside his Incheon residence.

He pledged to perform his obligations as president “with utmost effort” and expressed respect for the will of the people in statements reported by Reuters.

Approximately 41% of ballots have already been counted nationwide.

Lee extended his advantage over his conservative opponent, gaining 48.9 percent to Kim’s 42.8 percent.

According to MBC, Lee is “confirmed” to win, while KBS believes the lead implies the liberal contender is “likely to win” the election.

Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea’s Democratic Party, react as they gather in front his house in Incheon, South Korea. Reuters

The projected winner Lee has already stated that if elected, he will work to restore communication between Seoul and North Korea, including through a military hotline.

The two Koreas had previously communicated via hotlines, but Pyongyang has ceased replying since 2023, amid a severe deterioration in relations between the neighbours.

Lee also stated in a Facebook post last month that he would “stably manage” ties with China, which he claimed had reached their “worst state” under the previous government.

He committed to transform the US-South Korea relationship into a comprehensive strategic alliance, react in principle to previous historical and territorial disputes with Japan, and boost collaboration between South Korea, the US, and Japan.

It’s just after 11 p.m. in Seoul, and 27% of the ballots have been tallied so far.

Lee has 48% of the vote, while Kim has 43.8% of the votes according to the National Election Commission.

Lee Jun-seok, the New Reform Party’s candidate, admitted loss in today’s election. The exit polls had projected him to finish third.

“The exit polls suggest Lee Jae-myung will be elected as the president, and I expect him to make careful and accurate decisions on national unity and the economy,” the conservative politician told the National Assembly in Seoul.

Lee, 40, stated that his party will “continue to fulfil its role as an opposition party.”

Turnout in the June 3 poll was high, running at around 77.8 percent by late afternoon, officials said — the highest in nearly two decades.

Ballot counting stations swung into action after polls closed at 8:00 pm (1100 GMT) with boxes of ballots arriving at the Seoul National University Gymnasium in Gwanak-gu district.

As of 22:48 local time (13:48 GMT), 20.8% of the votes have been counted in this election.

Lee Jae-myung is leading with 47.7% of the votes, followed by Kim Moon-soo with 44.1%.

Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party had a substantial advantage among female voters, with more than 55% voting for him, according to a joint exit poll conducted by local stations KBS, MBC, and SBS.

In comparison, Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party obtained 48.3% of the vote from women.

Male voters were almost evenly split between the two candidates, with 39.4% expected to vote for Kim and 39.2% for Lee.

A joint exit poll indicates that leftist candidate Lee Jae-myung would win South Korea’s presidential election.

According to an exit poll conducted by South Korea’s three main TV stations (KBS, MBC, and SBS), Lee is expected to receive 51.7% of all votes cast in Tuesday’s election, defeating conservative challenger Kim Moon Soo with 39.3%.

The election is intended to pick a successor to Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who was dismissed from power in April following his ill-fated declaration of martial law.

The winning candidate will take office as president on Wednesday, without the typical two-month transition period.

South Korea’s snap election, scheduled after President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached and ousted from office for declaring martial law, is set to end soon.

Soon after the polls close, the vote count will start, and the result should be announced at midnight local time.

As soon as the National Election Commission (NEC) confirms the results on June 4, the winner of South Korea’s June 3 presidential election will formally take office.

There will not be a presidential transition phase because the vote is a by-election brought on by former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment.

Rather, the president-elect will have to finish all of the tasks normally completed during the two-month transition period on a single day, including important inaugural activities.

South  Koreans turned out in force to vote in a snap presidential election on Tuesday, as millions of people sought to restore stability after six months of turmoil sparked by a shock martial law briefly imposed by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol.

The new president will face the challenge of rallying a society deeply scarred by the attempt at military rule and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally.

After being impeached by parliament in December, Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 4, less than three years into his five-year term, triggering the snap election that stands to remake  South  Korea‘s political leadership and foreign policies.

Voter turnout is presently at 73.8 percent nationwide and 74.1 percent in the capital, Seoul.

South Korean voters are turning out in massive numbers to pick a successor to disgraced former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Voter turnout is presently at 73.8 percent nationwide and 74.1 percent in the capital, Seoul.

South Korea’s three main broadcasters (KBS, MBC, and SBS) will release a combined exit poll immediately after polls close at 8 p.m. local time.

Vote counting will begin shortly after polls close, and a winner is anticipated to emerge after more than 70% of votes have been counted, most likely around midnight local time, according to local media.

Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung is expected to win South Korea’s  snap presidential election , according to recent surveys reflecting the mood in the East Asian nation amid ongoing voting on Tuesday (3 June).

If Lee wins, the  election could shift Seoul’s foreign policy from a pro-US-Japan axis, and could inch towards closer ties with China.

According to the National Election Commission, the national voter participation is currently 68.7 percent as of little after 3:30 p.m. local time in South Korea.

The most recent figures include people voting today, as well as those who voted early – on Thursday and Friday – and abroad voters.

South Jeolla Province had the greatest voting participation, with 77.8 percent of registered voters casting votes. The lowest turnout was reported in Busan, with 65.8 percent of people voting thus far.

68.4 percent of eligible voters in Seoul have already gone to the polls.

Lee Jae-myung of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea has called on the public to “save Korea through voting”, in a Facebook post.

In the post, Lee wrote, “Only six hours left for the golden time to save Korea.”

He also added that “Only your votes can save South Korea. Vote for democracy, civil life recovery and economic growth.”

Lee Jun-seok, 40, of the New Reform Party, is the third-place contestant in today’s election. He has been polling at 9 to 11 percent, well below the two leading contenders.

Lee rebuffed calls to renounce his run and support the People Power Party (PPP) to increase its chances, stating last week that there would be “no candidate merger” with “those responsible for the emergency martial law”.

According to the Korea Herald, engineer-turned-human rights lawyer Kwon Young-guk, 61, of the Democratic Labor Party, received only 1.6 percent of votes in a recent Realmeter survey.

In the same Realmeter survey, independent candidate Song Jin-ho, the head of the Global Data Asset Cooperative, polled at just 0.3 percent, according to The Korea Herald.

As of 1:00 pm local time, voter turnout in South Korea’s presidential election has reached 62.1 per cent.

The number is 0.8 per cent higher than the turnout at the same time during the last election in 2022.

Nearly 30,000 police officers have been deployed across South Korea as the country votes for its next president, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Authorities have also put the police on the highest emergency alert, meaning all officers can be called in if needed. This level of security will remain in place until the new president takes office.

South Korea’s impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol voted on election day alongside his wife at a polling station in Seoul’s Seocho Ward.

Yoon was officially removed from office in April after the Constitutional Court upheld a parliamentary vote to impeach him. His attempt to declare martial law had sparked a political crisis in the country.

As of just after 10am local time in South Korea (01:00 GMT), voter turnout for election day has reached 13.5 percent, four hours after polling stations opened.

The conservative stronghold of Daegu leads with 17 percent turnout, while the liberal-leaning city of Gwangju is the lowest at 9.5 percent. In the capital, Seoul, turnout stands at 12.5 percent.

So far, over 6 million people have voted today, bringing the total turnout — including early and overseas voting — to 48.24 percent.

On the day of South Korea’s 21st presidential election, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo urged voters to support him, calling it “the last chance to stop a monster president’s dictatorship and protect liberal democracy, the rule of law, the market economy, and the Korea–US alliance.”

Posting on Facebook, Kim said, “Today, we choose the future of the Republic of Korea with our own hands.”

He added, “If the hearts of the people come together, it will create a powerful force to protect our freedom, our children’s future, and break through the ‘bulletproof glass.’” Kim stressed that he is “the only alternative who can protect the Republic of Korea and its people right now.”

As of 9:00 am, voter turnout for South Korea’s 21st presidential election stood at 9.2 per cent, according to the National Election Commission.

The commission said that 4,093,625 out of 44,391,871 eligible voters had cast their ballots in the first three hours since polling began at 6 am.

This turnout is 1.1 percentage points higher than at the same time in the 2022 election (8.1 per cent) but 0.2 points lower than the 2017 figure (9.4 per cent) at that hour.

On the final day of campaigning before South Korea’s presidential election, leading candidates Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo rallied supporters with starkly contrasting messages. The snap election was triggered by the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office in April after briefly imposing martial law in December—an act that shocked the nation.

Liberal frontrunner Lee vowed to heal societal divisions and prioritize econaomic relief for struggling families and small businesses. He accused his conservative opponents of being “insurrection sympathisers” and warned that the election marked a turning point for South Korea’s democracy.

Conservative candidate Kim condemned Yoon’s martial law as a grave error, apologized to voters, and promised political reforms. He accused Lee of posing a threat to democratic institutions, likening his leadership style to a “Hitler-style” dictatorship.

Both candidates concluded nationwide campaigns in Seoul. The winner—who will be announced Wednesday—will assume office immediately, without a transition period, due to Yoon’s early removal.

South Koreans will vote for a new president in a snap election on Tuesday (June 3).

Polling stations opened today at 6 am local time and will close by 8 pm.

Opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is leading in the polls, followed by Kim Moon Soo from the conservative People Power Party.

The election comes after six months of political turmoil, triggered by President Yoon’s declaration of martial law in December.

The chair of the National Election Commission, Rho Tae-ak, on Monday issued a statement aimed at reaffirming the transparency in election procedures and restoring the public trust in the upcoming presidential election remain the NEC’s top priorities.

The move came amid growing voter concerns that had popped up because of abnormalities at early voting polling stations on Thursday and Friday. Voters’ worries have also flared up because of conspiracy theories about the NEC’s role in vote-rigging during the 2024 general election lingering online, The Korea Herald reported.

Rho said election authorities will ensure that ballots cast during the early voting period remain under 24-hour watch until vote counting begins. Paper ballots submitted during advance voting are to be counted manually, in addition to the automated ballot processing using machines. These measures have been taken since the general election in April 2024.

Moreover, authorities have employed independent observers to monitor polling stations nationwide, while introducing a new system for this year’s election to estimate the number of early voters on an hourly basis.

Veteran US investor Jim Rogers on Monday denied his endorsement of opposition frontrunner Lee Jae-myung in several interviews with local media.

The statement was concerning a letter read by Kim Jin-hyang, the former head of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, who had read the letter of “endorsement” from Rogers during a Democratic Party press conference on Thursday (May 29).

Rival parties on Monday bickered over the authenticity of the Democratic Party of Korea’s claims.

South Korean police is set to deploy a total of 28,590 officers to polling stations nationwide this week as part of security measures for the June 3 presidential election.

The police officers will be stationed across 14,295 polling stations Tuesday, when the nation heads to the polls, Yonhap reported citing the National Police Agency.

Police said they will maintain the highest level of emergency security, in which all police personnel can be mobilised, from 6 am Tuesday until the newly elected president enters office.

South Korea’s Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and his People Power Party rival Kim Moon-soo were set to converge on Seoul on Monday as the presidential campaign came to a close with the vote just a day away.

Lee plans to begin the last day of his campaign in Seoul’s northern ward of Gangbuk before making stops in the neighbouring cities of Hanam, Seongnam, and Gwangmyeong.

He will then return to the capital, campaigning in Gangseo Ward in Seoul, and hold his final rally in Yeouido Park before wrapping up his day with a live broadcast on YouTube.

Voters are now looking for the winner of the June 3 snap election to calm the economic and political shocks that have roiled the country since Yoon’s December 3 martial law decree led to months of economic downturn and sparked nationwide protests.

Chungcheong Province is a key battleground for Kim Moon-soo, candidate for the conservative People Power Party campaigning on deregulations for companies, and liberal Democratic Party frontrunner Lee, who’s vowing to bring back stability after months of turmoil.

In swing regions such as North Chungcheong Province, where Jechon is located, the ruling conservative party risks losing a big chunk of its vote base with many voters blaming the martial law debacle for weaker private consumption and easing export momentum.