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00:00It's a presidential race that would put an end to months of power vacuum and
00:05political turmoil in the country. South Koreans say the vote couldn't come sooner.
00:10Things have been bad since December 3rd. I came to vote to deliver justice to those
00:18responsible. Over the past few months we've had some tough times together. I came to elect a
00:27president who can work for the people and is capable of bringing political and
00:31economic stability. The SNAP election follows former leader Yoon Seok-yeol's
00:37botched attempt to impose martial law in December. The country has since cycled
00:42through two acting presidents and is now on its third. There are two main contenders
00:47for the top job. Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung is a former human rights lawyer
00:52who's been dubbed South Korea's Bernie Sanders for his attempts at
00:55progressive reform, among them a pledge to implement a universal basic income. But
01:00he's been dogged by a string of scandals including high-profile charges related to
01:04corruption and bribery.
01:06If you entrust me with the Republic of Korea, I will repay you by creating a
01:15country where the people are the owners and they are happy.
01:20He's up against conservative Kim Min-soo from Yoon's People Power Party. A former
01:26Labour minister, Kim's positioned himself as a business-friendly candidate. He shot to
01:31public fame as the only cabinet member who refused to bow an apology for failing to
01:35prevent martial law.
01:36South Korea's next leader will be tasked with navigating a host of pressing issues, balancing
01:58Seoul's relations between its biggest trading partner Beijing and its crucial security ally,
02:02Washington, as well as managing the political and economic fallout of Yoon's move.