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The Democratic candidate is expected to hold a 10-point lead over conservative rival Kim Moon Thor.
Liberal Lee Jae-myeon is set to win the South Korean SNAP presidential election, and the exit vote suggests he enjoys a significant lead.
One exit poll conducted by three major South Korean television stations, KBS, MBC and SBS, suggests that Lee will win 51.7% of the votes cast in Tuesday’s election.
His nearest rival, conservative candidate Kim Moon Thor, followed 39.3% on forecast.
Another poll by MBN predicts that Kim will win 49.2% of the vote against 41.7%, according to state news agency Yonghap.
The winner is scheduled to take office on Wednesday, and the usual two-month transition period has been rejected due to unusual circumstances.
Applause and cheers filled the Parliamentary situation room, where Democratic officials gathered, as a result of the exit poll.
“Yun Loyalist”
Kim’s poor show wasn’t helped by the former Yun Alliance not convincing third-party candidate Lee Jun Sek to the Reform Party’s orders.
Reporting from Seoul, Al Jazeera’s Jack Burton said Kim had a hard time keeping her distance from the scandals around Yoon. The former president, who was fired each, is currently facing a criminal trial for the riot.
“He is considered a loyalist for Yun,” Burton said.
The long-term crisis around Yun helped mobilize voters, with voter turnout running at around 77.8% by late afternoon, officials said.
That could go well for poll winners who need solid mandate after the past six months of political turmoil, Burton noted.
Security concerns
On Election Day, Seoul Street was peaceful as people made the most of the weather and public holidays.
However, police issued the highest level of vigilance and deployed thousands of officers to ensure the election went smoothly, leading to Yun’s detention earlier this year and ultimately the bluff each of them in rage.
A similar security arrangement is expected to be pulled out for the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday.
Lee, who survived an attempted assassination last year, exercised in a bulletproof vest and gave a speech behind a protective glass shield.
The South Korean president serves a five-year term.
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