Joint Exit Poll Shows Lee Jae-myung Set To Win South Korea’s Presidential Election

Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung is forecast to win South Korea’s snap presidential election—two months after his conservative rival, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was removed from office following his brief and controversial imposition of martial law, Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung reported for The Associated Press (AP).

Pre-election surveys had similarly pointed to an easy win for Lee. I Photo: 이재명 Facebook

The exit poll, conducted by South Korea’s three major broadcasters—KBS, MBC, and SBS—projects Lee securing 51.7% of the vote, ahead of conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo, who garnered 39.3%.

Pre-election surveys had similarly pointed to an easy win for Lee, the Democratic Party candidate, amid widespread public anger over the conservatives’ handling of the recent political crisis.

Kim has struggled to attract moderate and swing voters, as his People Power Party remains mired in internal conflict over how to assess Yoon’s actions.

As the exit poll was announced, Democratic Party members erupted in cheers at a campaign event, chanting Lee’s name. Meanwhile, Kim’s headquarters fell silent. Voting took place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time at 14,295 polling stations nationwide.

Turnout reached nearly 80% of the country’s 44.4 million eligible voters—one of the highest rates in South Korean presidential election history—underscoring the public’s desire to move beyond recent political upheaval.