Both Lee and conservative Kim pledged change for a country deeply scarred by a shock martial law briefly imposed by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korea’s main conservative candidate Kim Moon Soo has conceded defeat in the presidential election. Kim, the candidate of the People Power Party, told a news conference early Wednesday that he “humbly accepts (the) people’s choice” and congratulates his liberal rival Lee Jae-myung for winning the election.

Kim Moon-soo, the conservative People Power Party’s presidential candidate, conceded defeat in the early hours of June 4, acknowledging the voters’ decision and congratulating his rival, Lee Jae-myung.