South Korea’s new president Lee Jae-myung vows to fix economy, hold talks with North Korea

The Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung was inaugurated as South Korea’s 14th president on June 4, 2025. Lee won a commendable victory with 49.42 per cent of the votes in a snap presidential election the day before. The election was called following the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk-yeol in April, who was removed from office following his brief attempt to impose military rule in December 2024. The ensuing campaign was dominated by the fallout of Yoon’s martial order and South Korea’s struggling economy, which could be heavily impacted by US tariffs.