After months of buildup, from the impeachment of Park Geun-hye to the rough and tumble of the Presidential campaign, South Korea - and the rest of the world - finally has our answer: Moon Jae-in declared victory in a speech near midnight local time after an 8 pm exit poll all but assured his win.

To say the election represents a sea change in South Korean politics would be an understatement. His second bid for the Presidency after losing to Park Geun-hye in 2012, the former Chief Secretary to Roh Moo-hyun rode a wave of popular discontent with two terms of conservative rule, and was quick to exploit the spirit of last year's candlelit protests which led to his one-time opponent's impeachment to win South Korea's top job.