Moon Jae-In won South Korea’s presidential election by a landslide on May 9, according to an exit poll, sealing the momentum for change after a tumultuous scandal.
Left-leaning former human rights lawyer who is on course for a landslide victory in South Korea’s presidential election, pledged Tuesday to represent all the country’s people.
”I will be president for all South Koreans,” he told cheering supporters on Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul — where vast crowds gathered over several months to demand the removal of his predecessor Park Geun-Hye over a huge corruption scandal.
Exit polls projected Moon would take 41.4 percent of the vote, 18 percentage points ahead of his nearest challenger.
”This is a great victory of great people who stayed with me to create a country of justice… where rules and common sense prevail,” he said.
South Korea was plunged into political turmoil by the scandal surrounding Park — who is now in custody awaiting trial — and Moon promised to be a “president of cohesion” who also took care of those who did not support him.
Moon most recently served as the opposition leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea from 2015 to 2016 and a member of the 19th National Assembly.
Prior, he was the Democratic United Party’s candidate for the 2012 presidential election after winning a majority in the party primaries, but lost the election to Park Geun-hye.
He was formerly a lawyer and chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun prior to his entrance into politics.