Seoul, South Korea – Democratic candidate Lee Jae-Myung was elected South Korea’s president in the impeachment distribution of the country’s former leader. Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee was leading the way in early Wednesday with his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo, which is mathematically impossible to surpass.
King acknowledged the game, told reporters that he “accepted the people’s choices humbly” and gave Lee congratulations.
Lee did not formally claim victory when he appeared in front of supporters in the nation’s capital earlier, repeating his goal to revitalize the economy and unite the country.
“Let us be hopeful and start over from this moment,” he said. “Although we may have had a conflict for a while, even those who do not support us are still our fellow Republic of Korea.”
77.8% of the country’s eligible voters held a vote at the polling station on Tuesday. It was the highest turnout ever in North Korea’s general election, and the country’s media said that after the vote, Lee almost confirmed Lee’s victory.
Kim recently served as Secretary of Employment and Labor in former President Yoon’s cabinet Impossible On him Short but shocking martial law At the end of last year.
Lee’s Democrats have been the main opposition for several years, but with victory
With South Korea’s presidency, Democrats find themselves back to control of the executive branch and parliament, and they have owned most of the seats for the first time since 2022.
Reuters/Kim Jong Il
Since Yoon was bounced late last year, he has not been elected president, so there will be no formal transition period. The inauguration of South Korea’s 21st president will be held on Wednesday, just a few hours after the final vote.
South Koreans filled streets in December on the streets around central government buildings in Seoul after the Yuan suddenly announced martial law. He said the tough measure is necessary given South Korea’s level of political division, claiming that the Communist Party is threatening public peace and security.
But Yoon Eun’s definition of the enemy changed because he first said that the communists who infiltrated South Korean politics were North Koreans, but then said that it was China’s influence that guaranteed his martial law.
Many young Koreans are working hard, and they appear before parliament, urging MPs to impeach Yoon, and they do have significant support, especially among older and right-wing voters.
His enormous political gambling with martial law, and subsequently refusing to leave his post after impeachment, is widely believed to be transferring many voters to Lee and the Democratic Party.
Yoon defeated Lee in the last presidential election in 2022, but was reduced by just 247,077 votes.
Who is Lee Jae-Myung, the new leader of South Korea?
Lee is a veteran politician with 20 years of experience as an elected official.
He will rely on this experience to help the power struggle between his closest allies in South Korea, the United States and its neighbor China, as Trump and President Xi Jinping participate in the trade war that affects global markets.
Lee vowed ahead of the election that he would work to further develop relations between the US and the South “to become a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance.”
Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images 
Lee also promised “stable South Korean relations management and promote South Korean diplomacy” and gave priority to South Korea’s national interests.
He vowed to invest up to 100 trillion won (about $73 billion) to fund the country’s artificial intelligence efforts, aiming to make South Korea one of the world’s three largest AI Powerhouses.
However, Lee has provided little promise and many South Koreans still don’t know what foreign policy he might adopt when he holds the country’s highest position.
Before South Korea fell into internal political chaos at the end of 2024, the former Conservative government took a tough approach to the isolated regime of North Korea and Kim Jong-un, which exacerbated higher tensions between the huge military borders of the two countries.
Lee is in an office facing several ongoing criminal cases, including a $1 billion property development scandal, allegedly an illegal remittance sent to North Korea and has been accused of abuse of government credit cards.
The South Korean president does have a great immunity to criminal prosecution, although not a charge of treason or uprising.
Contributed to this report.
