South Korea election: Exit poll points to Moon Jae-in win

Seoul (CNN)   The Democratic Party's Moon Jae-in is expected to win the South Korean presidential election, according to an exit poll conducted by the country's three major broadcasters. If Moon's win is confirmed, he's expected to reshape Seoul's policy on North Korea, by challenging the deployment of the US missile defense system, THAAD, and opening talks with Pyongyang. 

As counting gets underway, the exit poll showed Moon in first place with 41.4% of the vote, followed by conservative candidate Hong Jun-pyo at 23.3% and centrist Ahn Cheol-soo with 21.8%. The exit poll does not include the more than 25% of South Koreans who voted early.

Voters were seeking to fill the void left by the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, who was ejected from office in March after a corruption scandal for which she's awaiting trial. Moon, who is seen as a "clean" candidate, ran against Park in 2012 but narrowly lost.

South Korean Catholic nuns line up to cast their ballots in the May 9 presidential election.

Moon's two closest rivals, Hong of the Liberty Korea Party and Ahn of the People's Party, touted much tougher lines on North Korea.

Ahead of the vote, Pyongyang made its choice for South Korean president clear in a series of state media editorials calling for a boycott of conservative parties.

With former President Park, US President Donald Trump would have had a partner willing to take a hard line on Pyongyang. But Moon is seen as a candidate who could shake up the status quo in Seoul.

Moon was a strong proponent of the "Sunshine Policy," an attempt to improve relations between the two Koreas from 1998 to 2008, and served as chief of staff to former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

South Korean presidential candidate Moon Jae-In poses with a boy in Seoul on May 9.

Quarter of South Korea already voted

South Koreans were faced with a daunting list of 15 candidates, however before polling day two had already dropped out of the race. Ballots are marked with a red stamp against the name of the selected leader.