D-1 to S. Korea's Presidential Election: Here's what you need to know

Voters in the country will head to the polls tomorrow to elect a new president who will fill the vacancy at the top office.

For more on what to expect on election day, our Moon Hye-ryeon joins us in the studio.

Hye-ryeon, what should voters know about the schedule and timeline tomorrow?

Over 14 thousand polling stations will be open nationwide from 6 AM to 8 PM.

During a normal presidential election, polling stations are open until 6 PM, but this extended voting window reflects the special nature of this election that's being held to fill a presidential vacancy.

Eligible voters will need to bring a government-issued photo ID to their designated polling station in order to cast their vote.

At 8:10 PM, exit polls based on surveys of voters taken throughout the day will be released by major broadcasters.

They're often a strong indicator of who might be in the lead, although official counting will begin immediately after polls close and will continue into the night.

It's expected that a clear picture of the outcome will emerge at around midnight, but that could shift depending on how close the race is.

During the 2017 Presidential Election, results were projected by 10 PM, whereas in the 2022 Presidential Election, results weren't clear until 2 AM the next day.

And what's being done to ensure a smooth and safe election day?

NEC Chairperson Roh Tae-ak issued a nationwide address this morning, urging the public to unite through participation.

He emphasized the historic importance of this election, calling it a chance to move beyond division and toward hope.

But he also acknowledged the challenges — the shortened campaign period has left limited time for voters to fully assess candidates and their policies.

To strengthen transparency and public trust, the NEC is maintaining strict election integrity measures.

That includes 24-hour CCTV surveillance of ballot storage sites, first introduced during last year's general election.

Chairman Roh also highlighted that this is a nationwide effort, made possible with the support of local governments and public servants — many of whom are working overtime to make tomorrow's vote possible.

Meanwhile, fire departments nationwide have entered a special emergency posture, inspecting polling stations and ballot counting centers for fire hazards and deploying over two thousand personnel and 460 fire trucks to counting centers.

The police are also on the highest state of alert, which mobilizes 100 percent of available personnel.

Officers are being deployed to polling stations, ballot transfer routes, and ballot counting centers.

In total, over 168 thousand police staff will be involved in election-related operations.

Security around the presidential candidates has also been ramped up, with 200 officers assigned to personal protection.

Police will remain on high alert until after the presidential inauguration.

With the race coming down to the wire, are there any last-minute developments voters should keep an eye on?

A key issue this election has been the conservative bloc's ongoing struggle with candidacy mergers.

In a campaign rally just yesterday, PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo openly expressed hope for a last-minute merger with Lee Jun-seok.

Despite early voting — seeing as the final deadline for such talks — already being over, this shows that hopes for a deal persist.

However, Lee Jun-seok has remained firm, dismissing the possibility of a merger this morning on social media.

This election has also seen campaign trails engage in negative campaigning.

Most prominently in recent days have been allegations surrounding Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung's son, who reportedly engaged in illegal online gambling.

With the election now less than a day ahead, eyes are on how these developments could sway voters in these final, critical hours.

Thank you for your report, Hye-ryeon.

Thank you for having me.