Huge crowds vote in South Korean presidential election

Huge crowds turned out on Wednesday to vote in a tight presidential race pitting the son of North Korean refugees against the conservative daughter of a late dictator. 

Despite bitter cold, turnout was higher than past elections, which political analysts said might provide a slight boost to liberal Moon Jae-in over conservative Park Geun-hye in their contest to lead Asia’s fourth-largest economy at a time of high tension with rival North Korea.

South Koreans stood in long lines, wrapped in mufflers and parkas. A big turnout could mean large numbers of young people more likely aligned with Mr Moon are going to the polls, analysts said. Ms Park’s conservative base is comprised mainly of older voters who remember with fondness what they see as the firm economic and security guidance of her dictator father, Park Chung-hee.

Seoul’s election watchdog said turnout was about 45 per cent as of early afternoon, 9 percentage points higher than five years ago, when current conservative President Lee Myung-bak won a landslide victory, and 3 percentage points higher than a decade ago when Mr Moon’s former boss, liberal Roh Moo-hyun, won.

Wednesday is a national holiday in South Korea. Polls opened at 6 a.m. and were to close at 6 p.m. local time, after which television broadcasters planned to announce results from exit polls predicting a winner.

For all their differences, Mr Moon, who was Mr Roh’s former chief of staff, and Ms Park, who belongs to Mr Lee’s party, hold remarkably similar views on the need to engage with Pyongyang and other issues.

“Everything’s now at heaven’s disposal,” Mr Moon told reporters at a polling station in the south-eastern port city of Busan. “I have put forward every bit of my energy.”

Ms Park, a five-term lawmaker, voted in Seoul and said she would wait for the “people’s choice with a humble mind,” calling on voters to “open a new era” for their nation.