As he took office on Wednesday in a nation rifracked by political unrest since a brief but successful military law declaration in December, South Korea’s new leader Lee Jae-myung made an effort to convey a message of unification. Lee declared during his swearing-in service at the National Assembly,” I will function as a leader for all, to accept and provide every citizen, no matter who you supported in this poll.” Additionally, he pledged to revive the nation’s economy and pursue policies that support regular folks, both domestically and internationally. His announcement comes as a number of national and international organizations, including the OECD, are lowering their financial growth projections. This year, the OECD forecast that the country’s GDP would only grow by 1 % in 2025. ” It is time to restore security and peace that have been reduced to tools of social conflict, to rebuild lives and the market that have been hampered by indifference, stupidity, and carelessness, and to revive democracy that has been hampered by armored vehicles and automatic firearms,” Lee said. The use of weapons and vehicles is offensive to Yoon Suk Yeol, his father, who was removed from power and is still at large for recently declaring martial law six months ago. Before his arrest, members of the military, the Presidential Security Service ( PSS), and other parties sided with Yoon despite the country’s outcry surrounding the decision.
Lee’s support is only about 50 %.
South Korea, a nation that endured military rule up until the 1980s, was once again enthralled by the short-lived effort to uphold Yoon with military power. It has significantly harmed Yoon’s conservative People Power Party ( PPP ) image, and it arguably gave Lee and his Democratic Party 49.42 % of the total votes, compared to Kim Moon-soo’s 41.1 %. Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform party, the next prospect in the single-round voting, won the election with an overall score of 8.34 %. This vote marks a new level in the age of Asian democracy, according to Hyobin Lee, a professor at Sogang University in Seoul.” I believe this vote marks a new level in the age of Asian democracy,” said Lee. Some changes are anticipated with the introduction of this new administration.
New leader aims for stronger ties with North Korea and China.
With the vote over, Lee’s management now faces challenges, not the least of which are US trade tariffs and strained relations with North Korea, China, and Japan. According to Hyobin Lee, it is anticipated that Lee’s leadership will be more anti-China than previous ones. Seoul’s most important trading lover is Beijing, and South Korea is particularly concerned about the effectiveness of the current US administration in both security and business. Closer relations with Beijing may also help to lessen the risk posed by North Korea, a persistent alliance of China. Lee stated on the campaign trail that he intends to restore bridge with Pyongyang, although that may be even more challenging now because of growing security and business relationships between North Korea and Russia. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, may also choose to vehemently and publicly reject Lee’s approach.
Does Lee have a balance of power without checks and balances?
And yet another issue: at home, even among those South Koreans who took to the streets to protest Yoon’s declaration of martial law. It is now believed that the Democratic Party and its chief have too much strength concentrated in their arms. According to Seoul-based doctor Hyobin, Lee and his supporters power 190 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly, allowing their party to “drive federal policy in any way it chooses, without powerful antagonism.” She continued,” Our politics could be in danger if there were no checks and balances.”
South Korea at a juncture
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of global research at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University, stock those problems. He believes Lee’s victory was a “watershed moment in North Korean politics,” and he warns that his big parliamentary majority and his executive branch’s power give him a lot of power. He suggested that South Korea may experience institutional reforms and greater coverage coherence in response to economical, foreign, and political challenges. Otherwise, there might be more social punishment, growing polarization, and harmful governance changes.
Lee plans judicial reform while also facing legal issues.
Even with the disadvantages that his rivals faced, Park Jung-won, a professor of law at Dankook University, points out that President Lee did not receive more than 50 % of the vote. Lee has been the subject of at least nine legal proceedings, the majority of which involve allegations of corruption, the unlawful transfer of funds to North Korea, and making false statements during election activities. In truth, he would not have been able to run for president if one of the circumstances ‘ appeals had proceeded as planned. However, Lee properly petitioned the courts to postpone the situation because it would interfere with a good voting. Park points out that the new administration is now proposing congressional changes that may make it impossible for the event to proceed in the future. The DP added that because Yoon was its leader when he declared martial law, it would get to break its primary political rival, the People Power Party, if elected.
Lee faces a possible pushback.
According to Park, actions that are perceived as preventing reasonable political processes won’t appeal to the electorate properly. Lee and his new government will likely experience a honeymoon, he said, but the conventional media will not hesitate to condemn him if they believe he is overstepping his bounds, which could cause a significant backlash in the electorate. Easley is still optimistic that Lee did get the political balance necessary to resolve the political problems that has lasted for months. His political mandate calls for “pragmatic problem-solving” rather than a liberal revolution, he said. After legitimate scandals, dubious opposition tactics, and even threats to his career, Easley claimed that the new president now needs to “approach state with rationality for the national interest, as well as with humility for social unity.”
