South Koreans begin early voting in presidential poll

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, taking a selfie with a supporter as he leaves a polling station after casting his early vote for the upcoming presidential election in Seoul on May 29, 2025. - Reuters

SEOUL: Early voting in South Korea's presidential elections kicked off on Thursday (May 29), with both main candidates set to cast ballots in a poll triggered by ex-leader Yoon Suk-yeol's ill-fated effort to suspend civilian rule last year.

All major polls have placed liberal Lee Jae-myung as the clear frontrunner in the presidential race, with a recent Gallup survey showing 49 per cent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.