Yuna Ku
BBC Korean

With just under an hour to go before voting ends, hundreds have begun gathering around Gwanghwamun Square, the symbolic place for democratic rallies in South Korea.

At one side of the square, dozens of people are taking their seats around a big screen where results will soon be projected.

Traditional music is being played and some are dancing, while others are waving national and activist flags and chanting “let’s end the insurrection" - a nod to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law attempt.

Image source, Getty Images

This South Korean presidential election is different from usual in that the new president will take office as soon as the result is ratified by South Korea's Election Commission.

Normally, there is a 60-day transition period from election to inauguration day.

There isn't this time because today's vote is a snap election, triggered by former president Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.

As preparations were more rushed than for typical elections, the inauguration ceremony - due also to take place on Wednesday in Seoul's National Assembly building - is expected to be a scaled-down affair.

Image source, News1

As we reported earlier, Yoon Suk-yeol, whose short-lived martial law attempt led to this election, cast his vote this morning. Now all three of the other living former South Korean presidents have also voted in this election.

Lee Myung-bak, who served as the 10th president from 2008 to 2013, voted today in Seoul with his wife, Kim Yoon-ok.

Park Geun-hye, the country's first female president, who was impeached in 2017, voted last week in the southeastern city of Daegu, where she currently resides.

Image source, News1

Moon Jae-in, her successor, also cast his vote last week with his wife in Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

Both Lee and Park have previously served prison time. Lee was sentenced in 2018 to 15 years in prison for corruption and was pardoned by Yoon in 2022. Park was sentenced to 25 years for corruption and abuse of power and was pardoned by Moon in 2021.

Image source, News1

Yvette Tan and Juna Moon
Reporting from Seoul

It’s common during election season in South Korea to see trucks driving around bearing candidates' faces and blaring their campaign promises.

But one particular truck has generated controversy after many online noticed it was blaring Democratic Party (DP) slogans in Chinese.

Hateful comments quickly spread online, accusing the DP - a party that has been seen as pursuing friendlier relations with China - of being Chinese spies.

Anti-Chinese sentiment has intensified within South Korea's far-right circles, fuelled by ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's repeated claims of Chinese foreign interference in elections.

"Unlike previous administrations, which at least sought some level of balance, this government has pursued an overtly pro-US diplomatic approach, which I think has led to the deterioration of Korea-China relations," said Prof Ji Byung-geun of Chosun University.

In Anguk, a popular tourist spot in downtown Seoul, a sign claiming that South Korea was the “next Hong Kong” could also be seen.

One Chinese woman told the BBC she had seen comments online asking those from China to “go home” - though she added that she had never experienced hostility in real life. The BBC spoke to dozens of Chinese people living in Seoul who similarly said there was the occasional hostility online, but hardly ever offline.

One Chinese business owner in his 50s, who declined to be named, said former leader Yoon had "messed up relations between China and South Korea".

He said he hoped the next presidential candidate would take steps to address this, stressing that it was "important for China and South Korea to get along".

Shaimaa Khalil
in Seoul

Ji-sung, 21, thinks his country is at a crossroads.

"This might become either a flashpoint where things get even worse, or a turning point where things start to improve," he says.

Ji-sung doesn’t trust any of the candidates. But since someone has to be elected, he says, "I ended up voting after thinking about who seemed like the least worst option".

Before impeached President Yoon’s failed declaration of martial law on 3 Dec, Ji-sung hadn't paid much attention to politics.

"[But] because of all the recent incidents and scandals, I ended up becoming exposed to politics," he says.

"This time, I just hope that after someone gets elected, I won’t be hit with breaking news or scandals suddenly.

"I really wish they’d just do their job smoothly and quietly."

Image source, Instagram

As total voter turnout in this election is on track to hit a record high, some of South Korea’s biggest celebrities have cast their ballots - and taken extra care to not leave any room for speculation about their political preferences.

K-pop sensation Jin of BTS was spotted at a polling station in Seoul this morning, dressed in a grey hoodie.

His bandmate J-Hope, who voted during last week’s early voting period, posted a photo of himself in front of a polling station wearing an all-black outfit, including a black face mask.

Popular singer and actress IU took a similar approach last week. In a photo uploaded to her social media account, she posed in front of a polling booth sign, wearing a grey hat and a white face mask.

Local media have noted that by choosing politically neutral colours, the celebrities appear to be deliberately avoiding any hints about their voting choices.

With the country deeply divided following the martial law bid, colours such as blue, red, orange, and yellow - representing the political parties of the four candidates - are being carefully avoided.

Although polling has proceeded smoothly for the most part, there have been several cases of altercations and arrests across the country.

A man in his 60s was arrested for allegedly assaulting an official at a polling station in Jeju by shoving him in the chest, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier in the afternoon, a woman in her 60s was arrested in Gyeonggi for allegedly revealing who she voted for - by not folding her ballot paper - which is not allowed in South Korea.

In another case, someone flew a red balloon with the phrase "President Kim Moon-soo" near a polling station.

Fifty-four cases of alleged election law violations were reported as of noon today, Seoul police said.

On Sunday, a Seoul court granted a warrant to arrest a woman suspected of voting twice during early voting - including once by proxy for her husband.

Image source, Getty Images

For the first time in nearly two decades, there are no women vying for South Korea's top job.

The last time there was an all-male ballot at a presidential election in the country was in 2007, when there were 12 male candidates and no women.

Park Geun-hye, became the country's first female president after winning in 2012 and led the country from 2013 to 2017. However, she was embroiled in an influence-peddling scandal that ultimately saw her impeached and jailed.

In 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol won the election campaigning on a conservative - and explicitly anti-feminist - platform.

During his presidency, divisions have deepened over gender in South Korean society: while high-profile cases of sexual abuse of women have sent shockwaves across the country.

Feminism has also become a lightning rod for men claiming that they are the victims of reverse gender discrimination.

Read more about how feminism became taboo in South Korea.

Yvette Tan and Yuna Ku
in Seoul

Kim Mi-kyung, 29, is planning for her wedding next year - and one of the issues on her mind as she starts thinking about family planning is what the next president might do to improve some of the issues women face in the workplace.

She fears her career will be put at risk, or that she will have to take a step back if she has a child.

South Korea has some of the world’s lowest birth rates, and some candidates have pledged to improve this.

But Mi-kyung says the way to improve the country’s birth rate is not to just offer policies like cash relief, as some candidates have done. Rather, she wants them to look into fixing the fundamental issues at play, like improving maternity leave policies or trying to eliminate discrimination at the workplace.

“I’m becoming more worried about [how this might affect] my career," she says.

Mi-kyung adds that she doesn’t particularly like any candidate, but voted for one she felt could "steer the country in the right direction".

"The most important thing is that our next leader doesn’t get impeached again."

Voter turnout has reached a record high of over 71% as of 16:00 local time, according to South Korea's Election Commission. Voting will run through to 20:00.

There are about 44.4 million eligible voters nationwide.

The total turnout at the last presidential election in 2022 was 77%.

North Korea is being unusually silent this electionpublished at 08:04 British Summer Time 3 June

08:04 BST 3 June

Sangmi Han
BBC Korean

During major elections in South Korea - or even the US - North Korea has often showcased its military strength, a move experts view as strategic signaling.

Just last year, tensions escalated with trash balloon exchanges and loudspeaker broadcasts. But since President Yoon's martial law declaration, North Korea has been unusually silent.

North Korea first mocked South Korea’s politics as messy, but then went quiet. Experts say this silence shows Pyongyang’s fear: that exposing its people to South Korea’s free elections and impeachment could spark dangerous ideas, like the power to remove a leader.

This silence could also be reflective of Kim Jong Un’s new stance. In 2023, he labeled South Korea a hostile state and ruled out reunification, a shift known as the “two nations doctrine.”

So staying quiet on Yoon’s political troubles also avoids showing any interest or recognition of Seoul.

Image source, Reuters

The wives of the two leading candidates have taken on very different approaches in supporting their spouses' campaigns.

People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo's wife Seol Nan-young took her criticisim of her husband's main rival and his wife to Saturday Night Live Korea last weekend. Seol satirised Lee Jae-myung's wife Kim Hye-kyung, making reference to how Kim Hye-kyung was fined for misusing a government credit card while Lee was a provincial governor.

"This is an important election, whether you choose clean, honest, upright Kim Moon-soo or another candidate who is corrupt, and lies," Seol said.

Kim Hye-kyung meanwhile has kept herself away from the spotlight, focusing instead on community and religious outreach. Some political watchers say she wants to avoid past controversies involving presidential spouses.

In an earlier interview, Kim Hye-kyung had said the first lady could make “a positive impact through campaigns to change public awareness and cultural norms when the president manages policies in the political sphere.”

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Korean's Yuna Ku reports from a polling booth near the president's office in Seoul.

The country is voting for a new president to replace Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached following his shock attempt to impose martial law in the country.

Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent

Image source, EPA

Whoever wins this election will have to deal with some urgent challenges abroad.

At the top of that list will be high-stakes negotiations with President Trump, which have been on hold until the end of the election.

Trump has hit South Korea with high tariffs that experts say could trigger an economic crisis if not addressed. At the same time Seoul needs to guarantee its security. It has a defence alliance with the US, meaning thousands of US troops are currently stationed here. But there are reports that Trump is considering removing some of them.

The new leader will also need to decide what sort of relationship they want to have with South Korea’s powerful neighbour China, and how to deal with an increasingly dangerous nuclear-armed North Korea.

Here, the two leading candidates have quite different ideas.

The conservative party candidate, Kim Moon-soo, has said he wants to build-up South Korea’s military as a way to deter Pyongyang. However, the democratic party candidate, Lee Jae Myung, is keen to restart dialogue with the North. He also wants to strengthen ties with China, something that could create friction with the US.

Image source, Getty Images

Walk into any Starbucks in South Korea, and there are six names you definitely won't be hearing: those of the presidential candidates.

Starbucks has banned customers from ordering drinks with those names, which baristas would have to call out.

In recent months, Starbucks says it has seen people substituting their nicknames with phrases like "arrest Yoon Suk Yeol" or "Lee Jae-myung is a spy".

The ban aims to "maintain political neutrality during election season", the company said, adding that it would be lifted after today.

Celebrities are also being extra careful, as their outfits are often scrutinised for political messages during election time.

Those donning blue or red - each representing the country's two main parties - are often accused of being supporters of the parties.

Here's how other companies are staying cautious this election season.

Shaimaa Khalil
in Seoul

Song Jeong-seok, 39, and his wife Gu Yeong-hyang, 43, brought their two-year-old toddler with them to cast their ballot.

Song tells us the last six months has left him deeply disappointed in his country’s politicians.

“It’s as if everyone has some kind of disease where admitting they’re wrong would kill them. All they (politicians) do is deny everything and focus on attacking each other,” he said. “… they can’t even do better than a corporate meeting.

Gu said that she “hopes to live in a society that makes sense.”

“I didn’t expect to witness two impeachments” she said of the recent impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol after his failed martial law declaration and that of former president Park Geun-hye in 2017.

Song said the most important issue on the ballot is foreign affairs.

“There are issues related to the US and to China. On both sides, they keep going back and forth on foreign affairs,” he said.

A record 65.5% of eligible voters had cast their ballot as of 14:00 local time (06:00 BST), according to South Korea's Election Commission.

There are just over 44 million eligible voters at this presidential election.

Turnout at South Korea's last two presidential elections was 77%.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office in April, follows a line of former South Korean leaders who have had their reputations marred or terms interrupted by scandal.

Among them are presidents who have faced indictment, exile and imprisonment.

Yoon, who was South Korea's public prosecutor, in fact led a probe that landed former president Park Geun-hye in prison.

The country's first president Syngman Rhee too was a polarising figure who was eventually forced to resign in 1960 amid violent protests. He later left the country for Hawaii.

Here is a list of former South Korean presidents whose political careers ended dramatically.

Hyojung Kim
BBC Korean

Image source, Cho Shin-hwan

South Korea is famous for its lightning-fast deliveries - even on holidays, during snowstorms, or heavy rain. Place an order by midnight, and your package could arrive just hours later before dawn.

Behind that speed are workers who rarely get a break, historically, not even on election days.

But that changed this year.

Coupang, South Korea's largest e-commerce platform, and several other major courier companies this year announced election-day breaks for their workers.

This marks the first time Coupang has suspended its services since it launched their Rocket Delivery service in 2014.

Cho Shin-hwan, who has been delivering for Coupang in Jeju for five years, said it was "a first step toward an important right".

“We spoke up and won this right. I hope more delivery workers can enjoy these freedoms as something normal.”

Juna Moon
BBC Korean

Image source, BBC Korean

Young Koreans are participating in an “#ivoted" movement, using custom-designed "proof sheets" featuring animated characters and fandom art to prove that they voted.

Instead of stamping their hands to show that they cast their ballot, the stamps are put on the proof sheets which are designed to show off users' individuality - or their interests.

One voter who used a proof sheet told BBC Korean that it’s not only about encouraging others to vote, but also about making serious politics feel more approachable.

The designs, some featuring cute animals, were created by influencers and designers, then shared online for people to use for free.

Sukeydokey, the creator of one design, told BBC Korean they wanted to help young people see voting as a fun and memorable experience.

They added that while every voter may hope for different outcomes, they simply wanted people to enjoy the process.