Meet the candidates dueling to be S. Korea’s next president

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An unusually bitter election season in South Korea culminates on Wednesday when tens of millions of voters pick their next president. The winner, who will be sworn into office in May, will face crucial challenges in navigating a fast-aging nation grappling with economic inequalities and soaring debt and confronting a growing North Korean nuclear threat. Lee Jae-myung’s supporters adore his outspoken style and see him as an anti-elitist hero who could fix establishment politics. Yoon Suk Yeol got his start in office as President Moon Jae-in’s popular prosecutor general in 2019 and has built an image as a strong-minded, uncompromising prosecutor.