On March 3, South Korea conducted its presidential election, with polling places closing at 8 PM local time (7 PM Taiwan time), followed by the counting of votes, expected to be completed by 6 AM on April 4. The election was held earlier than scheduled, allowing the new president to take office directly after the inauguration ceremony in the National Assembly.

According to reports, over 44.39 million eligible voters participated, with approximately 15.42 million completing absentee voting beforehand. Following the closure of polling stations, the ballot boxes were escorted to counting centers to commence the tallying process, with initial results anticipated around midnight.

Polls indicated that Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, was leading with a support rate of 49%, while Kim Moon-soo from the ruling People Power Party trailed at 35%, showing a significant gap. As of the report deadline, Lee was leading with 48.3% of the votes counted, while Kim had 43.5%.

The election taking place amid a presidential vacancy suggests that the new president will face challenges in overcoming economic issues and security threats while addressing the divide between conservative and progressive factions.