JAKARTA - South Korean police and military are ready to maintain security to anticipate North Korea's threats, when Ginseng Country held a presidential election on Tuesday.
This presidential election was held following President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment after the imposition of a military emergency on December 3, 2024. The Constitutional Court approved Yoon's impeachment on April 4.
Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Kim Moon-soo from the People's Power Party (PPP) became the most favored candidates in this election.
Another candidate is Lee Jun-seok from the Reform Party and Kwon Young-gook from the Korean Democratic Labor Party
A total of 14,295 polling stations across South Korea will open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. local time, quoted from The Korea Times June 2.
The number of eligible voters reached around 44.39 million people, including 15.42 million people who participated in the initial vote last Thursday and Friday, as well as 205,268 people who took part in the vote abroad, according to the National General Elections Commission (NEC).
Although the initial vote recorded the second-highest voter in the country at 37.4 percent, it remains to be seen how many will vote on Election Day. Previously, the total voter participation in the 2017 presidential election, which was also an impromptu election, reached 77.2 percent, while in the 2022 election it reached 77.1 percent.
The vote count will begin as soon as the vote is closed, with ballot boxes transported under police escort to 254 polling centers designated across the country.
The results of a joint poll of three main broadcasters MBC, KBS, and SBS are expected to be released at 8 p.m., just after the vote ends. Polls will survey around 100,000 voters in 325 polling stations across the country.
When the final result will be announced depends on voter participation and the difference in votes between candidates.
In the 2017 elections held after impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, it only took two hours after the tally started at around 10 p.m. So that Moon Jae-in is projected to be the winner. He then delivered his winning speech at around 11:40 p.m.
In the 2022 general election, when Yoon defeated his opponent Lee Jae-myung by a margin of just 0.73 percentage points, Yoon was projected to be the winner around 2 a.m. the next day, eight hours after the tally began. He delivered his winning speech after 4 a.m.
For the presidential election this time, most are expected that a possible winner will be known as soon as midnight, on Wednesday morning.
The President-elect in this presidential election will face many pressing challenges, ranging from filling leadership vacancies for months to dealing with various urgent issues in diplomacy and the economy.
"One of your voices can change history and protect democracy," Lee Jae-myung said in his last campaign Monday.
"I, together with PPP, have reflected on it deeply and vowed to uphold the wishes and aspirations of the people, fully devoted to the nation," Kim Moon-soo said in his final campaign.
Two other candidates, Lee Jun-seok and Kwon Young-goook also held their last campaign on Monday.
Separately, 28,590 police officers will be stationed at 14,295 polling stations on Tuesday, according to the National Police Agency.
Police said they would maintain the highest level of emergency security, where all police personnel could be mobilized, from 6 a.m. Tuesday until the newly elected president takes office.
Meanwhile, top military officials conducted military units inspections on Monday, calling for a firm posture of readiness to deal with North Korea's threats.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Admiral Kim Myung-soo conveyed the call when visiting units under the 9th Division of the Army and 1st Air Defense Brigade, according to JCS.
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During his visit to the surveillance unit under the 9th Division, Admiral Kim called for maximum efforts to prevent enemy attacks and deception.
He called for a firm posture of readiness for the potential for low altitude air infiltration involving drones and aircraft while visiting units under the 1st Air Defense Brigade.
North Korea on the Moon conducted a test launch of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
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