ED Lee Jae-myung must open new era
Supporters of South Korea's Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, hold pictures of Lee Jae-myung, outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 3. Lee is certain to win the presidency. AP-Yonhap
President Lee braces for multiple challenges at critical juncture
Voters used their mandate to the full on Tuesday to choose Lee Jae-myung as the next president, to put an end to and seek closure on six months of crisis following the Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
Lee of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) began his single five-year presidential term early Wednesday morning. Lee won 49.42 percent of the votes cast, over the conservative People Power Party's (PPP) Kim Moon-soo who won 41.15 percent of the votes. Lee Jun-seok of the minor Reform Party took 8.34 percent.
Earlier exit polls conducted jointly by three major broadcasters, released at 8 p.m., had projected 51.7 percent support for the DPK's Lee, giving him a solid start over the PPP's Kim Moon-soo's 39.3 percent. But as votes were opened and tallied, Lee came out the winner and Kim conceded at around 1 a.m.
This election, arriving two years ahead of schedule due to Yoon's impeachment, means that the new administration must hit the ground running. Lee is expected to soon name his prime minister, chief of staff and Cabinet members to address quickly mounting tasks. Korea's once-exemplary democracy needs fixing, the economy must grow with investment in innovative technology and the sharpness of political divisions must be dulled. To that end, all aspects of the election outcome should be accepted, analyzed and then embodied by the parties. The liberal president should humbly accept the votes cast his way in this winner-take-all election, and wisely see just how many constituents went the other way. The parties that have lost should also be mindful of what the votes mean numerically and contextually.
It is time to wash away the mud slung by the candidates, who framed the election around accusing each other of "insurrection" vs. "tyranny." The past six months have left almost every citizen eager to get the country's democracy and economy functioning again within normal democratic government structures — not in a political crisis mode — and change what needs fixing. This in itself should provide a mandate for Lee as he swiftly forms his Cabinet and draws a detailed blueprint for the nation to become an AI powerhouse, one in which there is growth with fair distribution and pragmatic diplomacy, along with the vital Korea-U.S. alliance. Most of all, the public surely will not want the new president dealing with differences, opposition, disputes and controversies in an idiosyncratic manner. If the past six months teach a lesson, it is that the new president must show that he is a democratic leader able to exercise restraint and tolerance in even the most difficult conditions.
There are other wide-ranging tasks ahead for Korea to address, from the deepening U.S.-China rivalry, to growing ties among autocrats in North Korea and Russia and general uncertainty surrounding the Korean economy in what is shaping up to be a global trade war. Firstly, President Lee should soon engage U.S. President Donald Trump. Direct communication and the ability to negotiate with logic, rapport and composure have proven effective — even amid the on-and-off tariffs — as witnessed by summits with other world leaders. The new president must also reconnect through multilateral international stages such as the NATO Summit and the G-7 meeting to convey that a democratic Korea is back at work and ready to lean in with its exports and technological abilities.
There is continuing pressure through multiple senior U.S. defense officials to take on more cost-sharing for the United States military in Korea as they publicly talk up "strategic flexibility" to better deter China and emphasize flexibility in the Northeast Asia region that must be deftly handled.
The domestic landscape does not promise easier terrain. With the central Bank of Korea forecasting Korea's economic growth for 2025 at 0.8 percent, work has to begin immediately on the business front and the export-fueled economy. Korean society is aging rapidly, and its birthrate is dismally low. More important may be the work of toning down political divisions and hostility all along the political scale and achieving unity. With various social reforms pledged, creating unity is one of the hardest tasks for any leader. He must achieve this through example, open discussion and transparent public communications. This is what the new administration owes the Korean public.