A liberal lawyer was elected president of South Korea Tuesday, ending months of political instability in the ally of us who began with an ally that started with a Sloppy declaration of martial law.
Lee JAE-MYUNGThe leader of the Democratic party, was sworn in on Wednesday. His conservative rival, Kim Moon-Soo, of the Power Party people, said that he humbly accepted “the choice of the people”.
According to the National Electoral Commission, Lee received 49.4% of the vote, while Kim received just over 41%. Another conservative candidate, Lee Jun-Seok from the reform party by Upstart, received 8.3%.
In his inauguration speech, Lee, 61, underlined national unity after the episode of martial law and said that he would be “a president who ends the division policy”.
“We will fully discover the truth, attribute appropriate responsibility and establish solid measures to prevent recurrence,” he said.
Lee said that he would lead a “pragmatic government and oriented towards the market” and strengthen American-Korean relations and trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan.
In a gap of his predecessor, Lee also declared that he would engage in a dialogue with a rival in North Korea while strongly responding to his nuclear and military provocations.
“We will restore the honor of the military and the confidence of the public, who were damaged by the illegal martial law, and to ensure that the army is never mobilized for politics again,” he said.
The election took place six months for the day after the president YOON SUK YEOL shocked the democracy of Eastern Asia of more than 50 million people by suddenly declaring martial law, invoking threats from “anti-state forces” and by accusing the opposition controlled by paralyzing the government.
The legislators pushed the previous soldiers that Yoon had sent to Parliament to vote unanimously against the ordinance, which Yoon then withdrew.
Led by Lee, The legislators dismissed Yoon On December 14 during the short -term order, after which South Korea was led by a series of acting presidents. The leadership vacuum cleaner hampered South Korea in Washington while trying to negotiate with the Trump administration on a “reciprocal” rate of 25% and other samples.
Lee, who narrowly lost against Yoon in 2022, had been considered the next most likely president since Yoon was charged. The election was launched in April when the Constitutional Court confirmed his dismissal.
But the South Korean voters were more animated by the anger of Yoon and his party than by an affinity for Lee.
“His victory is not thanks to particular political proposals, but rather to the spectacular collapse of Yoon,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Womans Ewha University in Seoul.
The Martial Law episode has deeply unstable South Korea, which spent decades under the military-authoritarian regime. He also has Aggravated polarization Between the liberals and the curators, with regular rallies organized for and against Yoon and a presidential campaign Filled with personal attacks.
Some voters led their anger at Kim, the candidate of Yoon’s former power party, even if Yoon left the party last month to help his campaign.
“I believe that Lee will restore the democratic system and establish a democratic government,” said Lee Jung Sup, director of the company in Seoul. “Then our economy will be revitalized.”
Kim, who was Minister of Labor under Yoon, criticized the declaration of martial law but opposed his dismissal. The supporters underlined Kim’s file, the contrasting with Lee’s involvement in several criminal trials.
“It is unfair to reflect the martial law declared by the former president of Kim,” said Oh Chang-Soo, a retired religious leader in the sixties.
Lee’s wishes to punish people involved in the order of Martial law have raised new political disorders. Yoon is always judged for accusations of insurrection, a crime which is liable to death or life imprisonment.
Lee said this week that in addition to responding to economic concerns and internal division, his main priority was to reach a trade agreement with the United States.
In addition to the 25% rate – which should take effect on July 9 – the economy dependent on the trade in South Korea is vulnerable to American samples specific to the sector on some of its most important exports, such as steel and cars.
Asked about the president Donald TrumpThe tendency to put pressure on its negotiation partners, Lee said: “It is a kind of political behavior manifested by powerful nations, and we have to bear it.”
“If the President of the Republic of Korea briefly authorizes 52 million people to prosper, then he must do so,” he said on the South Korea Christian broadcasting system on Monday, using the country’s formal name.
Although Trump is a great figure, said Lee, diplomacy should be mutually beneficial and “I’m not an easy opponent either.”
“We have a good number of playing cards,” he said. “There are things to give and take both sides.”