South Korea has elected a new president after months of political turmoil sparked by former President Yoon Seok-yeol’s declaration of martial law in December 2024, which led to his impeachment.
South Koreans went to the polls on Tuesday and elected Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, who officially started his term early Wednesday morning, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The Democratic Party’s victory over Kim Moon-soo, the candidate representing Yoon’s People Power Party, was seen as a reckoning for the martial law declaration. The final results showed that Lee received 51.7% of the votes, while Kim trailed behind with 39.3%.
In a victory speech to his supporters, Lee vowed to seek talks with North Korea, a break from his predecessor’s approach that provides President Trump with the opportunity to revisit the diplomacy with Pyongyang that he pursued during his first term.