Liberal politician Moon Jae-in won South Korea's presidential election on Tuesday

There are also worries that signs of disharmony between South Korea and the USA on dealing with North Korea could also weaken worldwide pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program.

Exit polls in South Korea predicted a win for left-leaning, former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-In after the country's historic elections on Tuesday.

At home, concerning his campaign pledge to turn the presidential Blue House palace into a "rest space for the people" and work in a 19-story government complex building in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul instead, a Moon spokesman told Yonhap on Wednesday he will work in the Blue House for the time being, and while advisors will discuss logistics no specific timing has been decided.

He favors closer ties with North Korea, saying hard-line approaches failed to prevent the North's development of nuclear-armed missiles and only reduced South Korea's voice in worldwide efforts to counter North Korea.

Moon's comfortable margin of victory belies a deep ideological and generational divide in the country of 51 million people. "For peace on the Korean Peninsula, I will do everything that I can do".

Moon, who narrowly lost to Park in 2012, would also need to face the growing youth unemployment and rising household debt during his five year-term.

Ultimately for Moon, there is recognition that the current unfavorable public mood in South Korea toward the U.S., China and Japan would weaken Seoul's diplomatic leverage if he was tempted to pursue an independent strategy.

The Moon administration is expected to be powered by ordinary people who are awakened to the significance for their participation in politics. He even helped arrange a summit between his mentor, former President Roh Moo-hyun, and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 2007.

Last week, Washington and Seoul announced that THAAD was partially up and running, and analysts have warned Moon may be able to do little to prevent its full deployment.

Moon has also said that he wants South Korea to take a more prominent role in the North Korean crisis rather than letting the United States and China take the lead. Moon has promoted engagement with the North.

But challenging Washington on THAAD would be hard for Moon, despite widespread opposition to it in South Korea - especially after Trump suggested South Korea should pay the roughly $1 billion bill for it - and loud protests from China, which claims the system is a security threat.

Conservative Hong Joon-Pyo - who dubbed Moon a "pro-Pyongyang leftist" was far behind on 24.03%, with centrist Ahn Cheol-Soo third on 21.4%.

Voters were galvanised by anger over the sprawling bribery and abuse-of-power controversy that brought down Park, which catalysed frustrations over jobs and slowing growth. However, the approach ultimately failed to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Dozens of high-profile figures, including Park's longtime confidante, Choi Soon-sil, and Samsung's de facto leader, Lee Jae-yong, have been indicted along with Park. While Moon won the election overwhelmingly, many South Koreans aren't convinced about his approach, worrying that North Korea will take advantage of that open dialogue and seek concessions from South Korea while refusing to give up its weapons.

Moon frequently appeared at anti-Park rallies and the corruption scandal boosted his push to re-establish liberal rule. He called for reforms to clean up social inequalities, excessive presidential power and corrupt ties between politicians and business leaders.

President Moon attracted controversy on the campaign trail in December past year, when he told an interviewer that, if elected, he would visit Pyongyang before he visited the U.S.

Moon told The Washington Post, "President Trump uses strong rhetoric toward North Korea, but. he also said he could talk over a burger with Kim Jong Un".

During his campaign, many conservatives anxious that Moon's election would cause problems with Washington, Seoul's most important ally, because of his engagement policy on North Korea would clash with Trump's push to maximize pressures on the country.