Opposition's Lee Jae-myung will become South Korea's next president, winning the country's first election since impeachment chaos
Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party conceded defeat and congratulated Lee in a brief speech on Wednesday, just after midnight local time
Millions voted on Tuesday in a snap election triggered by former president Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his failed martial law bid
The election has been shaped by the fallout from Yoon's brief but disastrous move in December, which triggered divisive protests and months of political chaos
Lee Jae-myung had fought this election as a referendum on martial law – promising to make sure it never happens again – and it worked
But now he faces the challenge of bringing together a polarised country, businesses anxious over US tariffs and an unpredictable ally in Donald Trump
Three things to know about South Korea's snap election
Three things to know about South Korea's snap presidential election
The BBC's South Korea correspondent Jean Mackenzie explains what you need to know about the main presidential candidates - and the challenges they'll face if elected.
Gavin Butler & Yuna Ku
in Singapore and Seoul
Image source, Getty ImagesBefore the tumultuous events of 3 December 2024, Lee Jae–myung's path to South Korea's presidency was littered with obstacles.
Ongoing legal cases, investigations for corruption and allegations of abusing power all looked set to derail the former opposition leader's second presidential bid.
Then former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, tried to invoke martial law - setting in motion a series of events that have apparently cleared the path for Lee, who was his main rival.
Polls have suggested that Lee, the Democratic Party candidate, is the frontrunner to win this election.
Here's more on Lee and how he became such a divisive figure in South Korea.
Image source, Getty ImagesPolice will be stationed across 14,295 polling booths in South Korea, according to the country's police agency
Almost 30,000 police have been deployed to thousands of polling booths across South Korea as the nation votes for its next president, the Yonhap South Korean media agency reports.
A total of 28,950 police have been deployed since 06:00 local time (22:00 BST) when polling booths opened, Yonhap says, citing the Korean National Police Agency.
Authorities will maintain the highest level of emergency security - which means all police personnel can be mobilised - until the new president enters office, Yonhap says.
David Oh
BBC Korean Service, reporting from Paju
Image source, BBC / David OhPeople lining up at a polling station in Paju, South Korea
I've just cast my vote early this morning - and I admit it was the toughest decision I've ever had to make at the polls.
I won't say who I voted for, but I can say it wasn't easy.
Since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ill-fated martial law bid in December, South Korea has been in a state of political upheaval. Exactly six months have passed, yet the air still feels heavy with uncertainty, and tensions remain deep.
For many, this snap presidential election isn't just about politics - it's about change.
People are hoping the next leader can help heal the nation and bridge the divide in a society that feels more polarised than ever. With implications for South Korea's democratic future, this vote carries so much weight.
Image source, Getty ImagesLee Jae-myung (top left), Lee Jun-seok (top right), Kwon Young-guk (bottom left), Kim Moon-soo (bottom second from right) and Song Jin-ho (bottom right) and the five who remain in the running
A month ago, there were seven men vying for South Korea's top job - just five of them remain in the running today.
Opinion polls have suggested that Lee Jae-myung, of the opposition liberal Democratic Party, could be the frontrunner, followed by Kim Moon-soo, from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's conservative People Power Party.
Lee, who lost to Yoon by a razor-thin margin in 2022, has promised to establish a "Real Republic of Korea" with jobs and a fair society.
Kim, a former labour minister, has positioned himself as a president for the economy, promising the creation of a business-friendly environment and job creation.
The other three candidates include Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party, who has been popular with young men for his anti-feminist views, former rights lawyer Kwon Young-guk of the Democratic Labor Party, and businessmen Song Jin-ho, who is contesting as an independent candidate.
For the first time in 18 years, there is no woman running for president.
The first photos from polling stations across South Korea are now coming in.
These are from the capital, Seoul, as voters cast their ballots for the country's next president.
Image source, EPAAn elderly woman casts her ballot in Seoul, South Korea
Image source, EPAA queue of people wait to cast their ballot in Seoul, South Korea
Image source, EPAA man leaves a voting booth in Seoul, South Korea
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was on this day six months ago that former President Yoon Suk Yeol made a shock martial law declaration and threw South Korea into unprecedented political chaos.
Yoon's decree may have been short-lived - it was quickly voted down by lawmakers, many of whom jumped fences to get into the heavily-guarded National Assembly - but it has left the country more polarised than ever and its politics more violent.
Image source, ReutersSouth Korea's next leader faces the task of arresting the country's declining birth rate
Last year's declaration of martial law in South Korea highlighted the deep political division between supporters of Yoon and his conservative People Power Party and those backing opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and the liberal Democratic Party.
It also shook public confidence in the economy at a critical time, when US President Donald Trump has unleashed his tariffs on America's trading partners, with South Korean goods facing a 25% levy.
The new president will then have the immediate task of addressing these concerns.
But there are persistent challenges, such as relations with North Korea, which has has grown increasingly tense in recent months.
On a broader scale, the new leader must balance Seoul's relations between its biggest trading partner, Beijing and its most important security ally, Washington.
There is also the task of arresting the country's declining birth rate, which is among the lowest in the world.
In 2024, the country's fertility rate, or the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, was at 0.75. While it ticked up slightly from the previous year, it remains far below the 2.1 needed to maintain the country's population of 51 million.
Image source, Getty ImagesAnti-Yoon protesters gather for the constitutional court's verdict on Yoon's impeachment on 4 April
South Korea descended into political turmoil last December after former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.
Yoon said he was protecting the country from "anti-state" forces that sympathised with North Korea - but it soon became clear that he was spurred by his own political troubles.
The military takeover, which stunned the world, was voted down overnight.
The turbulent months that followed saw parliament vote to impeach Yoon and prosecutors charge him with insurrection.
The country also saw days and nights of protests in the chilly temperatures, with tens of thousands of people calling for Yoon to be removed from office. His supporters showed up in similar measure demanding that he stays.
On 4 April, the constitutional court upheld Yoon's impeachment and permanently removed him from office, paving the way for today's election.
Image source, ReutersSouth Koreans protest on 14 December 2024
Here is the timeline of key events that led to this snap election:
3 December: Former President Yoon Suk Yeol declares emergency martial law in a late night televised address. Heavily-armed troops surround the National Assembly to block lawmakers from entering.
4 December: Just past 01:00 local time, 190 lawmakers, including 18 from Yoon's own party, voted to overturn the law. Yoon rescinds his order about three hours later.
7 December: Opposition lawmakers try to impeach Yoon for the first time but fail after a boycott by members of his conservative People Power Party.
12 December: Yoon defends his martial law order, saying he did it to protect the country's democracy. He vows to "fight to the end".
14 December: Amid days and nights of protests - both by Yoon's supporters and detractors - the National Assembly votes to impeach Yoon.
31 December: A district court issues a detention warrant for Yoon.
15 January: Some 3,000 police officers manage to detain Yoon at his heavily-fortified residence. This is their second attempt. In the first, hundreds of them faced a six-hour deadlock with his security detail.
19 January: The court grants a formal arrest warrant for Yoon, leading a mob of his supporters to riot, some even breaking into the courthouse.
26 January: Prosecutors indict Yoon on charges of leading an insurrection using his martial law bid.
4 April: The constitutional court upholds Yoon's impeachment and formally removes him as president. Authorities announce the following week that a snap election will be held on 3 June.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's election day in South Korea, where voters are choosing the country's next president after months of unprecedented political turmoil.
It started in December, when former president Yoon Suk Yeol placed the country under martial law. It sparked an impeachment trial that led to his removal from office and for a snap election to be held today.
Yoon's martial law and impeachment highlighted deep divisions in South Korean society and large protests have been staged for and against him.
For South Koreans, today's vote offers an opportunity to restore stability and forge ahead.
There are five candidates, but Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung holds a strong lead over his rivals. Lee had lost to Yoon in 2022 by a razor-thin margin.
Whoever gets elected president will have to deal with issues ranging from US tariffs to tensions with North Korea and a declining birth rate.
Join us as our teams across South Korea, Singapore and the US bring you the latest updates as they come.