South Korea's Moon takes oath of office as president

Outspoken and charismatic, Im has always been dogged by accusations he is a North Korea sympathiser.

Moon, having won Tuesday's election that was pulled ahead seven months ahead of schedule due to impeachment and removal of former President Park Geun-hye amidst bitterly divided public sentiment and enragement over corruption in the mainstream politics, vowed to become a "humble" and "communicative" president who would relinquish the traditionally mighty powers concentrated on the president. "I will go to Beijing and Tokyo and under the right circumstances go to Pyongyang as well". "If conditions ripen and provide opportunities to significantly lower military tension in the Korean Peninsula and open a path toward solving the North Korean nuclear problem, which is the most urgent threat to our security, then I think (Moon) will be able to go to Pyongyang".

Mr Moon is a child of refugees who fled North Korea during the Korean War - however his softer touch could put him at odds with South Korea's biggest ally, the US.

He has called for a combination of negotiations and economic cooperation alongside military and security measures.

South Korea's new leader says he is willing to visit the North amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. By no coincidence, he was a key adviser to those administrations.

Moon decisively won South Korea's presidential election on Tuesday, television networks declared, an expected victory ending almost a decade of conservative rule and bringing a more conciliatory approach toward North Korea.

Experts have been predicting an imminent nuclear test, North Korea's sixth, for weeks now, as the country ramps up missile testing and saber rattling.

"We can't deny that the ruler of the North Korean people is Kim Jong Un", he said in March.

Moon, who was a close aide to Roh Moo-hyun, South Korea's last leader to adopt a "sunshine" policy of diplomatic and economic outreach toward the North, has called for a balance of pressure and engagement.

Moon has played down policy differences with Washington.

The new President has so far proved hard to pin down on issues like the controversial USA -made THAAD missile defense system deployment in South Korea, and has said he would like like to sign a peace treaty with the North.

Mr Moon took the oath of office in a ceremony at the National Assembly, and among his first tasks will be naming his nominee for prime minister, the country's second most important job, which needs the approval of politicians.

In his speech, Moon, 64, also pledged to sever what he described as the collusive ties between business and government that have plagued many of South Korea's family-run conglomerates, known as chaebol, and vowed to be incorruptible.

Exit polls in South Korea's presidential election show that liberal human rights lawyer Moon Jae-in expected to win today's vote.