Voting underway in South Korea s Presidential election (Lead)

Seoul May 9 (IANS) Voting is underway across South Korea in the presidential election on Tuesday as the nation is set to elect a new leader after a year of political upheaval media reports said.

The early poll was triggered by the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye who was removed from office in March over a massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving her close friend aides and business moguls Yonhap News Agency reported.

About 42.4 million South Koreans are eligible to cast their ballots. Voting began at 6 a.m. in 13 964 polling stations across the country and is scheduled to end at 8 p.m.

As of 9 a.m. electoral participation stood at 9.4 per cent the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said.

Front-runner Moon Jae-in 64 of the Democratic Party cast his ballot at a polling station in northwestern Seoul together with his wife.

I felt the people s earnest desire for government change to create a country worthy of calling a country the former human rights lawyer and chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun told the media.

I plead with you to join forces to build a country worthy of being called a country by participating in the vote until the end.

Moon s closest rivals are conservative Liberty Korea Party candidate Hong Joon-pyo and the People s Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo who is also a liberal. According to latest opinion polls both are close to 20 per cent in the race.

Hong cast his ballot at a polling station in southern Seoul also with his wife.

This election is a war of regime choice in which people will accept the pro-North Korea leftist administration or choose a government that will defend the free Republic of Korea he said.

If elected Hong promised to swiftly form his government to fill the vacancy left by Park s ouster and stabilise inter-Korean relations through summit talks with US President Donald Trump.

Ahn expressed hope that more voters will come out and achieve a record high turnout.

Speaking to the media after voting at a polling station in northeastern Seoul he said: That is the way democracy will develop.

The last opinion poll on the presidential election published on May 3 had Ahn and Hong tied at 18.6 per cent with Moon in the lead with 42.4 per cent.

Unlike the previous elections the president-elect will be sworn in immediately after the NEC makes an official statement of the election result at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning Efe news reported.

There are a total of 13 candidates in the fray. Two others withdrew earlier.

Over 26 per cent or some 11 million have already cast their ballots over a two-day early voting period held on May 4 and 5.

The turnout marked the highest rate ever in early voting apparently indicating high public interest in the election that followed the first impeachment of a President.

--IANS
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