South Korea elects liberal Lee as president
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, was elected president following months of political instability in the wake of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment


What happened
Lee Jae-Myung was sworn in as South Korea's president today after his main challenger, conservative former labor minister Kim Moon-soo, conceded defeat this morning. With all votes counted from Tuesday's snap election, Lee got 49.4% to Kim's 41.2%. Turnout surpassed 79%, the highest since 1997.
Lee, a 61-year-old left-leaning former factory worker who grew up in poverty, took office immediately because his conservative predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, was impeached and removed from office for briefly declaring martial law in December.
Who said what
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Yoon, who was officially removed in April, three years into his five-year term. Lee, whose Democratic Party controls the National Assembly in Seoul, "takes office as one of the most powerful presidents that South Korea has elected in recent decades," The New York Times said.
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Despite his "storming victory," Lee's "honeymoon will barely last the day," the BBC said. South Korean voters "vehemently rejected the military dictatorship that was almost forced upon them," but the new president "has a Donald Trump–shaped crisis to avert" before he can focus on strengthening democracy and uniting the country.
What next?
Lee began his five-year term hours before Trump doubled U.S. steel tariffs to 50%, hitting one of South Korea's main exports to its second-largest trading partner. Another of the country's core industries, cars, is already subject to 25% Trump tariffs.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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