Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party. 

The election will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. 

More than 16 million, or 36.93 percent, of a total of some 44 million registered voters already cast their ballots in early voting Friday and Saturday. 

The race between Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party took place amid soaring COVID-19 cases in South Korea and tensions on the Korean Peninsula.  

South Korea reported a record daily high 342,446 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a series of missiles and reconnaissance satellites this year as denuclearization talks with the United States remain stalled. 

Supporters of the Democratic Party wish that Lee, a former Gyeonggi Province governor, would inherit the current government of President Moon Jae-in, who is constitutionally barred from seeking reelection. 

Conservative voters support Yoon, a former prosecutor general, for the transfer of the presidential power to the conservative bloc. 

The winner's single, five-year term is set to start on May 10.

Polls last week showed a slight edge for Yoon, who secured a surprise, last-minute boost last week when the third-placed candidate, Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party, dropped out of the race to support Yoon. 

A survey by Embrain Public estimated the merger could give Yoon 47.4 percent to Lee's 41.5 percent, while an Ipsos poll tipped the margin at a slightly wider 48.9 percent to 41.9 percent for Yoon. 

In the absence of opinion polls for the past six days, Yoon's camp said on Monday it expected to win with a 10 percent margin, while Lee's team predicted it would come out on top by 1-2 percent. 

Yoon takes a hard line on national security, including pledging to deploy additional units of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. 

In contrast, Lee has taken a more conciliatory approach to Pyongyang, saying the overriding goal in Seoul's policy is to prevent another war on the peninsula. He has called for denuclearization on the peninsula and sanctions lift off the DPRK. 

On domestic issues, Yoon has vowed to fight corruption, foster justice and create a more level playing field, while Lee was known for his aggressive coronavirus responses and advocacy for universal basic income as the governor of Gyeonggi. 

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: A voter casts a ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. /AP)