President Moon Jae-in on Thursday congratulated President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on winning the presidential election as they held a telephone conversation, Moon's spokesperson said.

Moon told Yoon that they need to hold a meeting to discuss a smooth transition of power and his administration will provide support for the next administration's inauguration, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee told reporters.

Moon asked Yoon to restore national unity and heal national division shown in the election process, Park said.

Yoon asked Moon to "teach me a lot" and expressed hope to meet as early as possible, Park said.

Later in the day, Moon also sent a congratulatory pot of orchids to Yoon.

Moon's chief of staff You Young-min and Lee Cheol-hee, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, paid a visit to Yoon to deliver the orchids.

During the meeting, Yoon thanked Moon for congratulating him and said he hopes to meet with Moon soon.

Yoon, a conservative former top prosecutor, was elected South Korea's next president earlier in the day after a tight race that underlined deep divisions along regional, generational and gender lines.

Yoon gained popularity from conservatives by launching probes that jolted Moon's administration.

In July 2019, Yoon was appointed by Moon as prosecutor general, but their relationship took a downturn when the prosecution under Yoon launched a corruption investigation into Cho Kuk, one of Moon's closest aides and his pick for justice minister. (Yonhap)