The Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-In is pulling ahead of South Korea’s presidential election on Tuesday.

The former civil rights lawyer, who completed his national service in the elite Special Forces, is widely viewed as a moderate willing to pursue diplomatic engagement with the DPRK aimed at halting its nuclear missile program.

These days Moon Jae-in often greets more like a South Korean pop idol than a 64-year-old former human rights lawyer.

Moon was a former presidential Chief of Staff who later ran against, and narrowly lost to, former president Park Geun-hye in 2012.

Moon said he will strive to make South Korea a prosperous, mature democracy that respects human rights and seeks peace on the peninsula, and that could talk with the DPRK’s leader Kim Jong-Un.

As a former Special Forces soldier Moon wants good relations with Pyongyang and Washington, but he also wants to build up the defenses so he doesn’t have to rely on the U.S. if confronted by the DPRK, experts said.

“I’ll make sure to stop any provocation from North Korea with an overwhelming defense. I want to lead the peace order in Northeast Asia. We are the owners of the Korean peninsula problem; we have to lead, right? ” said Moon Jae-In.

“Even the other candidates for presidency have good pledges, but they don’t have personality. But Moon Jae-in keeps his promises and he has a personality and that’s why I support Moon Jae-in,” said Jin Yoo-ra, Moon’s supporter.

Moon wants to generate jobs through massive state funded infrastructure projects, while his main rival Ahn Cheol-soo wants to stimulate small to medium businesses.

Moon also likes to compare his own modest background to that of some of his billionaire rivals.

“I think he is the candidate who is thinking most about electorates, that’s why I support him,” said Kim Sang-min, Moon’s supporter.

Reuters