South Korean presidential candidate Ahn casts vote

South Korean presidential candidate of the Liberty Korea Party, Hong Joon-Pyo, casting vote and speaking to media. (Photo grabbed from Reuters video)
South Korean presidential candidate of the Liberty Korea Party, Hong Joon-Pyo, casting his vote. (From Reuters video)

SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korean presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo cast his vote on Tuesday (May 9) in Seoul.

Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People’s Party was joined by his wife and daughter when he voted at a polling station in Seoul.

The vote will end months of leadership vacuum. Park was ousted on charges of bribery and abuse of power in March to become South Korea’s first democratically elected president to be forced from office. She is in jail, on trial. Park has denied wrongdoing.

The polls opened at 6 a.m. (2100 GMT on Monday) and will close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT). The winner is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday (May 10), after the Election Commission releases the official result.