With more than 95 percent of the votes counted, Lee had secured victory in the election and was officially declared the winner.
The party headquarters in the capital Seoul had been in a festive mood for hours, since it became clear that the main opponent Kim Moon-Soo from the People's Power Party (PPP) had no chance of catching up with Lee's lead. And with 99.8 percent of the votes counted, Lee had received 49.4 percent against 41.2 for Kim, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Thus, the 60-year-old Lee has made a long journey from a poor upbringing, where he was forced into child labor, to running for the presidential post for the country's liberal Democratic Party (DP) after having been governor of Gyeonggi and mayor of Seongnam.
Showing Colors
Lee's political career has been marked by sharp criticism of South Korea's social elite – and he has in turn been accused of populism.
He has hinted at a willingness to try to improve relations with North Korea and China. At the same time, he has not closed the doors that have traditionally been kept open to Japan and the USA.
But Lee is forced to show his colors immediately.
Usually, it takes two months after the election day before a new president is sworn in. But the circumstances of the snap election make Lee be sworn in as early as Wednesday morning in a low-key ceremony.
Impeached
The incoming president Lee had already spoken as if he were the country's future head of state.
I will do my utmost to live up to the great responsibility that has been given to me, and not disappoint the people, he said in a first comment after the exit polls gave him the election victory.
The election was held after the now-ousted president Yoon Suk-Yeol (PPP) was impeached and accused of treason due to his sudden declaration of martial law in December last year.
