South Korea’s liberal-led legislature has voted overwhelmingly to launch special investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law in December and criminal allegations against his wife.

It is still recovering from the martial law crisis last December, when the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, tried to orchestrate a military takeover. He failed, because of resistance from the public and politicians, and was impeached, triggering this snap election to choose his successor. But the chaos Yoon unleashed that night has festered.

Pre-election surveys suggest Yoon Suk Yeol's liberal rival, Lee Jae-myung, appears headed for an easy win, riding a wave of public frustration in the wake of Yoon's martial law debacle.