Sawt Falasteen - Early voting ends for South Korea election triggered by martial law

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

South Korea has since been led by a series 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 that Yoon left this month.

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

Turnout stood at a healthy 34.7 percent of registered voters by the close of early voting on Friday, according to the National Election Commission.

"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 said 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," Park said.

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 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.

However, 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," Kang said.

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."

Q.Najjar--SF-PST