Kim Moon-soo Concedes Defeat as Lee Jae-myung Nears South Korea Presidency

In the 2025 South Korean presidential election, liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung secured a decisive victory over conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo, who conceded defeat as Lee maintained a strong lead with over 85% of votes counted. Lee's win marks a significant political shift, especially following the backlash against the previous conservative administration and martial law measures. Despite Kim's strong support in the Yeongnam region, including majorities in Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk, he failed to secure a majority in Ulsan, a traditionally conservative stronghold, where Lee outperformed previous liberal candidates. Kim's concession speech acknowledged the people's choice and congratulated Lee, while Lee emphasized national unity and dialogue with North Korea in his victory address. The election saw the highest voter turnout since 1997, reflecting public response to recent political crises. This result relegates Kim's People Power Party to the minority opposition, ending their position as the ruling party in the National Assembly.