Sawt Falasteen - Record South Korean early voting in poll triggered by martial law

The country is battling to draw a line under months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon Suk Yeol's suspension of civilian rule, for which he was impeached and removed from office.

Since then the Asian democracy has been led by a revolving door of lame duck acting presidents, as its export-driven economy grapples with trade turmoil abroad and sluggish demand at home.

All major polls have placed liberal Lee Jae-myung as the clear frontrunner in the presidential race, with a recent Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.

Trailing behind him at 35 percent is conservative ex-labour minister Kim Moon-soo, from the ruling People Power Party which Yoon left this month.

While election day is set for June 3, those who want to vote early are allowed to do so on Thursday and Friday.

A record 24.5 percent of 44.4 million registered voters had cast their ballot by 11:00 am (0200 GMT) Friday, the National Election Commission said.

"I've never had to wait this long in line to early vote," said Park Seung-hee, who lives in Seoul's Jongno district.

The 38-year-old told AFP she waited for "nearly an hour", but it was "worth it".

"The martial law showed just how important it is to choose the right leader. And I think a lot of others feel the same way."

Long lines at polling stations already prompted an apology from the National Election Commission, and a pledge to deploy more staff to ease overcrowding and reduce waiting times.

"I think people need to vote with their head, not their heart," said Kim Min-gyu, a 28-year-old who lives in Seoul's Gangnam district.

Overseas voting also reached a new high, with 79.5 percent of the 1.97 million eligible voters casting their ballots last week.

- 'Restore democracy' -

Whoever succeeds Yoon will have to grapple with a deepening economic downturn, one of the world's lowest birth rates and a soaring cost of living.

He will also have to navigate a mounting superpower standoff between the United States, South Korea's traditional security guarantor, and China, its largest trade partner.

But analysts see martial law as the defining issue in the presidential race.

Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women's University, told AFP the high turnout "naturally reflects the public's strong desire to restore democracy in South Korea".

"Overseas Koreans... more than ever, felt compelled to make their voices heard through the ballot, driven by a sense that the very foundations of South Korea's democracy were being shaken," said Kang.

Lee lost his 2022 bid for the presidency to Yoon by the narrowest margin in South Korean history, with one of the main debates becoming gender issues.

The former school dropout rose to political stardom partly by highlighting his humble beginnings.

He has vowed to "bring insurrection elements to justice" if elected president.

Seoul National University political science professor Kang Won-taek warned, however, that South Korea's political woes were far from over.

"There is a real possibility that the political turmoil and crises we've seen could re-emerge," said Kang.

Lee has been a "central figure in the polarisation that has fuelled much of the country's political instability", he said.

"Unless he adopts a markedly more inclusive approach to governance, there's a strong chance that past conflicts will resurface."

M.Qasim--SF-PST