How they see it

1. The Korea Herald

Park Geun-hye has committed to shifting the "paradigm of administering state affairs" and placing the happiness of the people on top of her agenda … The key … is 135 trillion won (HK$964.4 billion) in additional spending on welfare over the next five years … Spending more on welfare, however, will not guarantee greater happiness for Korean households, whose debt is approaching the 1,000 trillion won level. Who would laugh a lot … and have feelings of enjoyment when they are under the threat of being forced out of their homes because they cannot make their mortgage payments? … Another diversion from the pursuit of happiness is … North Korea is pushing ahead with a plan to arm itself with nuclear weapons. Seoul

2. China Daily

The inauguration speech delivered by Park Geun-hye after being sworn in as the first female president of the Republic of Korea has sent positive signals to Northeast Asia, which is in dire need of them to ease the tension that has built up after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted a third nuclear test earlier last month … How she copes with the situation on the Korean Peninsula will not only test her political wisdom but also have an impact on regional peace and stability. It is good to see, therefore, that Park has kept her campaign promise and vowed to pursue trust-building with the DPRK … As a close neighbour, China is willing to do what it can to see the situation take a positive turn. Beijing

3. The Asahi Shimbun

Many Japanese who watched the inauguration ceremony for Park Geun-hye probably felt that she is a breath of fresh air in the country's political landscape. How many people would have predicted that South Korea, considered a male-dominated society, would have a female leader before Japan, China and the US? There is, however, little excitement or euphoria in Seoul about the country's first female president. Rather, the capital has a calm and quiet atmosphere. … South Korea's leading companies are on a roll. But the income gap among the people has widened … These problems facing South Korea are formidable challenges for whoever holds the rudder. People's expectations for the new administration are not high. Tokyo