Seoul (TDI): South Korea has elected liberal leader Lee Jae-myung as its next president, just six months after he defied military checkpoints to vote against a controversial martial law decree, a moment he dubbed the nation’s “judgment day.”
Lee’s victory marks a sweeping political shift in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, coming in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s dramatic fall from power.
Yoon, a conservative figure who had narrowly defeated Lee in the 2022 election, was ousted after imposing martial law in a move that shocked the nation and prompted widespread backlash.
According to official figures from the National Election Commission, voter turnout soared to nearly 80%, the highest in a South Korean presidential race since 1997.
Lee’s victory, on the Democratic Party ticket, stood at 49.3% comfortably ahead of his rival from the People Power Party, Kim Moon-soo, who had garnered 41.3%.
Read More: South Korea Votes After Martial Law Crisis
A somber Kim conceded Thursday past midnight in a short press address to congratulate the opponent.
Cheers erupted across Lee’s campaign headquarters as national broadcasters released exit polls showing him with a decisive lead.
Addressing a jubilant crowd outside parliament, Lee struck a note of unity and resilience.
“We’ve endured a difficult time as a nation,” he said. “But with the collective strength and wisdom of our people, we will move forward together.”
He pledged to focus on economic revival, social cohesion, and renewed efforts at engagement with North Korea, saying peace must be pursued “through both strength and sincere dialogue.”
Read More: South Korea’s Constitutional Court Ousts President Yoon
Lee’s road to the presidency was paved by the political upheaval that followed Yoon’s imposition of martial law.
Impeached by the parliament led by Lee, Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April within less than three years into his five-year term, causing the snap election that now promises to transform the political leadership and foreign policy of a major ally of the United States.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
