Liberal Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea's presidential election ending months of political turmoil

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - SEOUL — South Korea’s liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung was elected president early on Wednesday in a victory that would cap months of political turmoil triggered by the stunning but brief imposition of martial law by now-ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol.

With over 99% of votes counted, Jae-myung obtained 49.3% of the votes cast in Tuesday's early election, while main conservative contender Kim Moon Soo trailed with 41.3%.

Nearly 80% of the country’s 44.4 million eligible voters cast ballots, according to an interim tally. That’s one of the highest turnouts for a presidential election in South Korea, reflecting public eagerness to move past the political turmoil.

Preelection surveys have long suggested Lee appeared headed for an easy win, riding on deep public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Yoon’s martial law debacle.

Even before Lee’s win was formally declared, Kim conceded, telling journalists that he “humbly accepts the people’s choice,” and congratulated Lee.

Lee Jae-myung delivered a speech to his supporters in the capital, Seoul, after exit polls projected his victory.

"The first duty you have entrusted me with, I will overcome the rebellion (referring to former President Yoon declaring martial law) and I will make sure there is no more military coup d'état, in which the power entrusted by the people would never be used to intimidate people,” said Jae-myung.

Lee, 60, will be taking office for a five-year term. The president-elect rose from childhood poverty to become South Korea’s leading liberal politician. His campaign saw him pledge to fight against poverty and corruption.

It’s not immediately clear what Jae-myung’s election would mean for Seoul’s foreign policy. The new leader has previously been accused by critics of tilting towards China and North Korea, and distancing from the US and Japan.

The president-elect has however stressed that South Korea’s alliance with the United States will continue to be the foundation of foreign policy.

The most formidable external challenges facing Jae-myung are US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and Pyongyang’s advancing nuclear program. However, experts have previously indicated that regardless of who assumes the presidency, securing major progress in favour of Seoul on these matters remains unlikely.

He’s vowed to pursue pragmatic diplomacy in his foreign policy approach. He’s promised to develop the alliance with the US and solidify a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo alliance – a stance that isn't much different from the position held by South Korea’s conservatives.

Jae-myung also said that he’ll work on pursuing better ties with North Korea, but acknowledged that it would be “very difficult” to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un anytime soon, signaling that there likely won’t be any drastic steps taken to improve ties with their neighbors on the Korean peninsula.

Lee Jae-myung, who held the position of governor of Gyeonggi province and mayor of Seongnam city, has been a contentious figure in the political arena for many years.

As a former child laborer, known for his inspirational ‘rags-to-riches’ story, he gained prominence by sharply criticizing the conservative establishment of the nation and advocating for a more proactive South Korea in its foreign policy.

This rhetoric has shaped his reputation as a reformer capable of implementing significant changes to address the country's deeply-rooted economic disparities and corruption.

His critics view him as a dangerous populist who relies on political division and backpedals on promises too easily. — Euronews