Analysts say both candidates were vague on their policy plans during the campaign, and Lee Jun-han, a political science professor at Incheon National University, said the results are more an indictment of Yoon and his PPP's poor performance than an endorsement of the DP.

Lee Jae-myung, the liberal South Korean politician elected on Tuesday as the country's next leader, overcame a knife attack, martial law and criminal charges on his unexpected path to the presidency.

South Korea’s presidential election result was never really in doubt. The real question is which version of Lee Jae-myung will now govern the highly polarized nation of 50 million.