Lee Jae-myung meets party leaders on 1st day in office, calls for unityLee Jae-myung began his presidency Wednesday with a clear message of unity, convening a series of meetings with political party leaders in a bid to bridge the deep ideological chasm exacerbated by the recent martial law crisis. The new president, who secured his victory in a snap election Tuesday, faces the immediate challenge of mending relations between the nation's polarized political camps, a divide that has paralyzed policymaking and fueled public discontent. His sartorial choice for the day underscored this commitment: a red-and-blue tie. The colors symbolizing the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) — blue —and the conservative People Power Party — red — were widely interpreted as a deliberate visual metaphor for his administration's stated goal of national reconciliation and bipartisan cooperation. Lee began his official schedule by visiting Seoul National Cemetery with his wife Kim Hye-kyung and fellow DPK lawmakers, following the tradition of previous presidents to pay their respects to the patriotic martyrs ahead of the inauguration ceremony. He then proceeded to the NationJun 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Conservatives in turmoil as blame game escalates after election defeatFollowing Lee Jae-myung’s presidential election win, conservatives are confronting a moment of reckoning, with the People Power Party (PPP) at a political crossroads. As the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) moves to consolidate power over both the presidency and the National Assembly, the PPP is left navigating internal divisions, a leadership vacuum and an uncertain future. In the hours after the vote, PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo conceded defeat, congratulated Lee, and pledged to respect the public’s verdict. “I humbly accept the people’s decision and offer my sincere congratulations to President-elect Lee Jae-myung,” Kim said at a press conference at the party's headquarters on Wednesday. Beneath the surface, however, the conservative camp remains fractured and uncertain about its future. Within the PPP, some have blamed Kim for failing to reach centrist voters, arguing that his campaign remained confined to the party’s traditional strongholds in the southeast. Others have pointed to Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, suggesting the PPP might have had a real sJun 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee Jae-myung clinches presidency with record vote countNewly elected President Lee Jae-myung fell short of an outright majority in Tuesday’s election, but set a new record in Korean presidential history by winning 17.29 million votes. Lee secured key support in the Chungcheong region — often seen as the nation’s electoral bellwether — and outpaced People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo in vote share, with particularly strong backing from those in their 40s and 50s. According to the National Election Commission Wednesday, Lee received 17.29 million votes, or 49.42 percent of the total, defeating Kim Moon-soo by approximately 2.89 million votes. This surpassed the previous record of 16.39 million votes set by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in the last presidential race. Lee topped the polls in most regions across the country, including Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province in the greater capital area, as well as Gwangju, Daejeon, Sejong, Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces and Jeju Island. Notably, in South Chungcheong Province — often viewed as a crucial swing region — Lee secured 47.7 percent of the vote, defeating Kim by moJun 4, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
FULL TEXT Lee Jae-myung's inaugural speechRespected and beloved fellow citizens, I am Lee Jae-myung, honored to greet you as the 21st president of the Republic of Korea, chosen by your hands. I stand here today with an immeasurable sense of responsibility and boundless gratitude. Embracing the 52 million hopes and aspirations entrusted to me by the 52 million citizens of this nation, I now take my first step as the 21st president of the Republic of Korea, toward a truly democratic republic. The future is calling to us. It is time to restore livelihoods on the brink and revive growth to build a tomorrow where everyone can live in happiness. It is time to reclaim national security and peace, which have been reduced to political weapons; to rebuild livelihoods and the economy, which have crumbled under indifference, incompetence and irresponsibility; and to restore democracy, devastated by armored vehicles and automatic rifles. Now is the time to bridge division and hatred with coexistence, reconciliation and solidarity — and to open a new era of national happiness filled with dreams and hope. As author Han Kang once said, the past hJun 4, 2025
Lee Jae-myung officially begins presidency, inauguration at 11 a.m.Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) started his presidential term at 6:21 a.m., Wednesday, after winning the election the pervious day for a five-year term to lead the country. As the National Election Commission (NEC) confirmed his victory, all powers and responsibilities as the president were transferred to Lee, including one of the most criticals: command over the nation's armed forces. In Tuesday's election, Lee gained 49.42 percent of the votes, beating major conservative People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo at 41.15 percent and minor conservative Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok at 8.34 percent. Earlier in a speech after his victory became almost certain, he pledged to revive the economy, stabilize democracy and promote national unity. And Wednesday — his first day on that mission — is expected to be a busy one for Lee, from an early-morning military briefing to inauguration. When a president's term ends under normal circumstances, command of the armed forces transfers to the new leader at midnight on the inauguration day. But in the case of a by-election — liJun 4, 2025By Park Ung
Diplomatic, security challenges lie ahead for new presidentWhen Yoon Suk Yeol was sworn in as South Korea’s president three years ago, denuclearization of North Korea still appeared within reach, China had not yet introduced its DeepSeek artificial intelligence model and Donald Trump was not occupying the White House. With Lee Jae-myung’s election victory, he took office Wednesday amid a dramatically shifting global landscape — one defined by rising geopolitical tensions and mounting security challenges that will put his foreign policy instincts to the test. “The complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is no longer viable. And a nuclear-armed North Korea has become an irreversible reality for all South Koreans. Now the question for the new administration is how to live with that nuclear threat,” Cho Han-bum, a researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, told The Korea Times. What has also changed over the past three years is North Korea’s view of the South and the possibility of peaceful unification. In a declaration that completely reversed its decades-long stance onJun 4, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Lee Jae-myung vows to curb executive powersIn the wake of the tumultuous Dec. 3 martial law crisis, liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung vowed to implement sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at decentralizing executive authority and bolstering legislative oversight if elected, a direct response to escalating public demands for significant political change. With his election victory, Lee assumed the presidency following Tuesday’s vote, ascending to power in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment and removal from office. This extraordinary election was held in the midst of fervent calls for political reforms, as the controversial imposition of martial law and the ensuing power vacuum laid bare critical weaknesses within Korea's presidential system. Lee has proposed shifting to a four-year presidential term with the possibility of reelection, rejecting calls to shorten the current five-year mandate. His reform agenda centers on curbing presidential powers and bolstering checks and balances through greater parliamentary oversight. Under his plan, the National AssemblyJun 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji
How will new gov't reshape ministries?With Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) clinching the presidency, a significant reshaping of the country’s political and administrative landscape now appears imminent. Signaling a departure from conventional approaches, Lee is expected to embark on a campaign of ambitious reforms, potentially establishing new ministries or overhauling existing ones, with particular emphasis on addressing the pressing challenges of climate change, artificial intelligence (AI) and gender equality. A cornerstone of the president-elect's nascent agenda is his pledge to create a dedicated ministry to confront the climate crisis. This move represents a significant policy pivot, indicating a heightened strategic commitment to environmental stewardship and energy transition within Korea's national governance. The proposed new ministry will consolidate energy-related functions from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy with climate-related responsibilities from the Ministry of Environment, aiming to deliver a more comprehensive and coordinated response to the climate crisis. Throughout hiJun 4, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
New president faces daunting task of uniting sharply divided nationWith Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) clinching the presidency, he now faces the daunting task of uniting a nation deeply fractured by months of political turmoil and partisan strife. His ascension follows months of intense political turmoil and social strife triggered by the controversial imposition of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The profound divisions facing the incoming administration are underscored by stark figures: A March report from the Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) indicated that the public's perception of social conflict reached an unprecedented high of 3.04 points last year on a scale of 0 to 4. Ideological divisions between progressive and conservative camps ranked as the most intense source of conflict, scoring 3.52 on the survey’s scale. The findings, collected between June and September of last year — before the martial law crisis erupted — suggest deep polarization even ahead of the political upheaval. Studies suggest that Korea’s social divide reached a breaking point following a series of flashpointsJun 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Voter anger over Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law propels Lee Jae-myung to victoryLiberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung's victory in Tuesday's snap presidential election reflects widespread public anger over former President Yoon Suk Yeol's abrupt martial law declaration and a strong desire for a change in power. Voters, outraged by Yoon's attempt to impose emergency military rule on Dec. 3, 2024 — the move that led to his impeachment and the early election — delivered a stinging rebuke to the main conservative party, with many turning away from People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo, analysts said. Lee's victory marks a political resolution six months after the country was plunged into turmoil by Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law, which lasted for just six hours. Yoon claimed the move was necessary to counter what he described as "anti-state forces," but it instead sparked mass protests that ultimately led to his impeachment in April. The election was widely viewed as a referendum on Yoon’s leadership, unfolding under the ominous specter of martial law. As the campaign progressed, the impeached president faced a crJun 4, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
