New President Lee Jae Myung: How he wants to change South Korea!

New President Lee Jae Myung: How he wants to change South Korea!

Südkorea - Lee Jae Myung, the left -wing opposition leader in South Korea, won the presidential elections with 49.2 % of the votes. His challenger, Kim Moon Soo from the People Power Party (PPP), reached 41.4 % of the votes. This choice is classified as pioneering for the future of the country, since Lee is expected to significantly change the course in economic, foreign policy and domestic questions. [ZVW] reports that the population demands a departure from the authoritarian measures by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who had proclaimed war law six months ago and thus endangered democracy in South Korea.

Lee Jae Myung will swear as the new president on Wednesday and has extensive power powers. However, his term is limited to five years, a re -election is not possible. Lee, who grew up in poor conditions and worked in factories under exploitative conditions in his youth, is considered a real outsider in politics. He also profiled himself as a human rights lawyer and was the first politician to call for an unconditional basic income in South Korea. In the election campaign, Lee adapted his positions to gain voters from the political center. [Süddeutsche] describes how his popularity has increased during the election campaign after it has occurred against the hectic and often destabilized political measures by Yoon.

social divisions and political challenges

South Korea is currently facing significant social challenges. Political camps, genders and generations are heavily polarized. The economic framework is also tense, with a decline in gross domestic product in the last quarter and the impending tariffs by the United States. Lee Jae Myung plans a diplomatic approach to North Korea and would like to improve relationships with China without endangering the important security alliance with the USA. [ZVW] emphasizes that Lee was criticized for his reserved attitude towards Russia in the past.

LEE, who was the previous mayor of Seondnam and Governor of the Province of Gyeonggi, has been striving for the president for eight years. His path to the presidency was characterized by setbacks, including a narrow defeat against Yoon Sultan in the 2022 election. After Yoon's elevation, the PPP is under considerable pressure, and it is unclear whether it is able to distance itself from the stressful past. [Süddeutsche] mentions the corruption procedures against Lee, which he contested and which could question his suitability for the presidency.

look at the future

The next challenge for Lee will be to overcome a significant social division and to cope with the state crisis. Until recently, South Korea was viewed as the hope of democracy, but current reports are classifying the country as a "autocratic country". According to a report by the Swedish research institute V-DE, South Korea is about to classify the "Electoral Autocracy" category. [FR] describes the implementation of satellite parties, which reforms the challenges of the political institution and ultimately questions the future of democracy.

Overall, it remains to be seen how Lee can change the political landscape of South Korea and manage the upcoming challenges. The new elections could be seen as a turning point in the history of South Korean democracy - but in society there are still many questions to clarify and solve problems in order to achieve a sustainable understanding of democracy.