Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - Conservative South Korean opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol rode to victory in a tight presidential election on a wave of discontent over economic policy, scandals and gender wars, reshaping the political future of Asia’s fourth-largest economy, Reuters reported.

His victory in Wednesday’s bitterly fought election marks a stunning turnaround for the main conservative bloc, now known as the People Power Party, which has regrouped since the 2017 snap election after the impeachment and ouster of then President Park Geun-hye.

Yoon is a former prosecutor-general involved with Park’s case who fell out with outgoing President Moon Jae-in after being appointed by him, gaining notoriety for his investigations of top presidential aides.

"The people put me here with hope in my conviction that I have not yielded to any power for fairness and justice for 26 years," Yoon said in a speech of his career as a prosecutor.

Yoon has pledged to stamp out graft, foster justice and create a more level economic playing field, while seeking a "reset" with China and a tougher stance towards reclusive North Korea, which has launched a record number of missile tests in recent months. read more

Official results showed Yoon, 61, edged out the ruling centre-left Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung to replace Moon, whose single five-year term ends in May.