South Korea votes amid regional and domestic turmoil

Moon Jae-in from the left-leaning Minjoo party is a heavy favorite to win the presidency. The 64-year-old politician wants to negotiate with the North, improve relations with China and reassess the US deployment of the controversial THAAD missile defense system.

On March 10, the South Korean Constitutional Court decided to impeach President Park Geun-hye. She is the first democratically elected South Korean head of state to be dismissed before the end of the legislative period. The new elections have been moved up to May 9.

A few fanatic supporters of former President Park Geun-hye are still camped out in front of Seoul city hall. Park is currently in custody and her followers say they suspect a "communist conspiracy."

Operational as of last week, the THAAD missile defense system has turned into a hotly debated issue among S. Korean voters. US President Donald Trump recently threatened to impose the $1 billion cost of the system on South Korea and according to surveys, the majority of South Koreans are against its deployment.

Both China and Russia consider the US missile defense system as a threat and South Korea is already dealing with economic sanctions from China as a result. Beijing has forbidden Chinese citizens from booking group trips to South Korea and this is having a negative effect on tourist areas.

Ahn Cheol-soo, a former businessman and inventor of a successful antivirus software system, is expected to win votes from the political center along with moderate conservatives. However, his debate performances were lackluster and his rhetoric was not convincing. He is also widely regarded as lacking a vibrant personality.

The most-popular conservative candidate, Hong Joon-pyo, has provided a measure of controversy to the election. Hong has been called the "Korean Trump" because of his continued violations of "political correctness" and frequent misogynistic statements.

Sim Sang-jeong is the only woman in the race and is considered to be a favorite among younger voters. She was able to deliver a clear stance during the TV debates, including on many issues that are controversial. For example, she was the only candidate who spoke up against discrimination of sexual minorities. However, for many Koreans this former union leader is too left-leaning.

Campaign helpers dance to these songs on tiny stages built onto trucks to promote their candidate. The most obscure is from a candidate from the former governing party, Saenuri. It resembles a children's song and praises ex-president Park Geun-hye, who was thrown out of office on corruption charges.