Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea presidency

[ad_1] Woongbee Lee Editor, BBC Korean

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c9d9/live/15b305b0-40a9-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="EPA-EFE Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party celebrates at an election event at the National Assembly after voting in the presidential election has closed, in Seoul, South Korea, 04 June 2025. South Korea's top broadcasters projected a victory for Lee after more than 60 percent of votes were counted." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> EPA-EFE South Korea has handed a decisive victory to opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung six months after his predecessor's martial regulation bid failed.

The temporary but disastrous transfer set off large protests and ended former president Yoon Suk Yeol's profession: impeached and faraway from workplace, he nonetheless faces prison prices for abusing his energy.

However the political chaos that adopted means victorious Lee's greatest problem continues to be forward of him. He should unite a polarised nation that's nonetheless reeling from all of it.

He additionally faces challenges overseas - crucially, negotiating a commerce cope with US President Donald Trump to melt the blow of tariffs from South Korea's closest ally.

His major rival was the ruling get together candidate and a former member of Yoon's cupboard, Kim Moon-soo.

He had been trailing Lee for weeks in polls and within the early hours of Wednesday, he conceded defeat, congratulating Lee "on his victory".

In an earlier speech, Lee had hinted on the win however stopped in need of declaring it. He mentioned "recovering" South Korea's democracy could be his first precedence.

The snap election comes simply three years after the 61-year-old misplaced his final presidential bid by a razor-thin margin to Yoon.

It is a exceptional comeback for a person who has been caught in a number of political scandals, from investigations over alleged corruption to household feuds.

Analysts say Lee's win can also be a rejection of the ruling Individuals Energy Occasion (PPP), which was tarred by Yoon's martial regulation order.

"Voters weren't essentially expressing robust assist for Lee's agenda, reasonably they had been responding to what they noticed as a breakdown of democracy," Park Sung-min, president of Min Consulting, advised the BBC.

"The election grew to become a car for expressing outrage... [and] was a transparent rebuke of the ruling get together, which had been complicit in or instantly liable for the martial regulation measures."

Lee's win, he provides, exhibits that voters had put South Korea's democracy "above all else".

Watch: BBC on the bottom in Seoul as new president is introduced

What lies forward

Yoon's departure additionally left his former get together divided and in disarray, with infighting delaying the announcement of a presidential candidate till early Might.

The chaos within the PPP went past simply Yoon, as two appearing presidents who adopted had been additionally impeached, earlier than one in every of them was reinstated - an indication of how contentious South Korean politics had develop into.

All of this definitely helped the opposition Democratic Occasion and its candidate Lee, who signalled extra stability.

However whereas he has gained the election, his challenges are removed from over.

He faces a trial within the Supreme Court docket over prices of violating the election regulation. The court docket postponed the trial till after the election to keep away from interference as a result of a conviction may have barred him from contesting.

But it surely's not clear what occurs if Lee is now discovered responsible, although the regulation says sitting presidents can't be prosecuted for prison offences, aside from rebellion or treason.

Lee has had a controversial profession during which he has constructed a loyal base however he has additionally drawn disapproval and ire for what some have known as an abrasive fashion.

He has spoken brazenly of a tricky childhood in a working class household, earlier than he went to school and have become a human rights lawyer.

He then switched to a political profession, making his manner up the DP till - in 2022 - he grew to become their presidential candidate. He campaigned on a extra liberal platform, promising to handle gender inequality, as an illustration.

However after he misplaced the vote, he pivoted, opting this time to maneuver extra towards the centre and play it safer along with his insurance policies.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/38bb/live/2bd6b170-40a4-11f0-a90d-6b992e1c44a7.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a press conference on state affairs at the presidential office on November 07, 2024" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photographs Former president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and faraway from workplace - however his legacy loomed over this election

In workplace, he will even want to achieve throughout the aisle and work with the PPP, a celebration he battled usually throughout Yoon's time period. However he might have a few of them to work with him to rebuild public belief and mend a fractured nation.

"Years of escalating polarisation below each the [previous] Moon and Yoon administrations have left South Korea's political panorama bitterly divided," Mr Park mentioned.

"Lee could communicate of nationwide unity, however he faces a profound dilemma: methods to pursue accountability for what many view as an tried rebellion with out deepening the very divisions he seeks to heal."

Regardless of the PPP's loss, Yoon nonetheless has a significantly robust and vocal assist base - and they're unlikely to go away anytime quickly.

His supporters, primarily younger male voters and the aged, usually echo robust right-wing narratives and lots of of them consider his declaration of martial regulation was essential to guard the nation.

Many additionally peddle conspiracy theories, believing Yoon's get together was a sufferer of election fraud.

1000's protested in opposition to his impeachment and in January, shortly after his arrest, a pro-Yoon crowd stormed a courthouse and assaulted cops.

With Yoon gone, there are questions on who would possibly fill that vacuum for his base.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7136/live/14fec520-408e-11f0-94ba-89dd28611d85.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate for South Korea's new Reform Party (RP)" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photographs Lee Jun Seok, who ranked third in polls, has been standard amongst younger males

One identify specifically has emerged: Lee Jun Seok, who additionally ran for president, however dropped out earlier on Tuesday, when exit polls prompt he was trailing too far behind, with simply 7.7% of the votes.

Nonetheless, he has been particularly standard with many younger males for his anti-feminist views, which has reminded a few of Yoon, below whom equality for girls grew to become a polarising topic.

Younger males of their 30s got here out in larger numbers than common to vote this time, drawn partly by candidates like Lee Jun-seok. These wanting to carry the PPP-led authorities accountable, and others wanting to make sure Lee Jae-myung's presidency was dashed, led to this 12 months's voter turnout reaching 79.4% - the best since 1997.

Nevertheless, it isn't simply therapeutic these divides at dwelling that can hold Lee busy within the quick future. He additionally faces pressing challenges overseas, reminiscent of navigating the US-Korea alliance below the brand new Trump administration.

"South Korea's urgent home challenges are more and more intertwined with world dynamics," Mr Park mentioned, including that it has implications for the nation's financial system and defence, on condition that the US is each an important buying and selling associate and safety ally.

A commerce cope with the US is high of the agenda, he mentioned, with sluggish demand and slowing development already hurting the financial system.

Lee - a seasoned politician - goes into workplace understanding all of this, and within the early hours made a promise to South Korea's voters.

"I'll do my utmost to fulfil the nice accountability and mission entrusted to me, in order to not disappoint the expectations of our folks," Lee advised reporters.