South Korea elected a left-leaning president for the first time in a decade on Tuesday, in a landslide that could lead to peace talks with the pariah North Korean regime and a potential clash with America.

The election of Moon Jae-in, 64, a former human rights lawyer and leader of the liberal Democratic Party, will radically change the political landscape of Asia’s fourth largest economy just two months after the impeachment of conservative President Park Geun-hye on corruption charges.

“I will be a president for all the people” Mr Moon told his celebrating supporters at midnight in the capital, Seoul, ahead of the official results. Early exit polls showed him with a 41.4 per cent lead.