Conservative Yoon Suk-Yeol elected in tight South Korean presidential race

South Korea has chosen a conservative opposition candidate, Yoon Suk-yeol, as the country’s next president following a tightly-contested race.

Yoon, who is a political novice, claimed a victory over the Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung based on promises to tackle class inequality.

He called his win a “victory of the great South Korean people.” The result was one of the closest in history, with the final count separating the candidates by less than 1%.

Early on Thursday morning, Yoon told supporters at his victory ceremony he would “pay attention to people’s livelihoods, provide warm welfare services to the needy, and make utmost efforts so that our country serves as a proud, responsible member of the international community and the free world.”

Both presidential candidates were viewed as widely unpopular throughout the campaign. Analysts said voters appeared so disenchanted by the frontrunners that local media dubbed the vote “election of the unfavorables.”

Wednesday’s election saw a high turnout, with 77% of eligible voters turning up to cast a vote. Priorities for voters in the election were skyrocketing house prices, stagnant economic growth, stubborn youth unemployment and gender inequality.

Yoon had also made abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family a central pledge of his campaign.

The ministry largely provides family-based services, education, and social welfare for children and spends around 0.2% of the nation’s annual budget, approximately 3% of which goes towards the promotion of equality for women, according to the ministry’s figures.

During his campaign Yoon had also leant heavily into a support base of young men, some of whom declared that there was no systemic gender discrimination in South Korea.

The White House has already sent its congratulations to Yoon, stating that US President Joe Biden is looking forward to further expanding the two countries ties.