28 h. ago South Korea’s president faces tough balancing act between allies, adversaries

Around six months after president Yoon Suk-yeol’s ousting, Liberal Party candidate Lee Jae-myung was elected as South Korea’s new president following a snap election on June 3. Lee’s victory marks a significant political shift, not just in domestic governance, but also in how South Korea may seek to navigate its ever-worsening relations with North Korea. In his inaugural address at the National Assembly, Lee stated his intention to deter military provocations from the North and also “open a...

Politics

67 h. ago South Korea has a new president. Will it have a new China policy?

South Korea’s new progressive president is likely to adopt a more “prudent” stance on Taiwan than his predecessor and focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing, according to observers. But they also expect continuity in trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan. Lee Jae-myung was sworn in after winning a snap election held on Tuesday, two months after his predecessor – Yoon Suk-yeol – was impeached and removed over his abrupt declaration of martial law in December. Lee and his...

Politics

67 h. ago South Korea has a new president. Will it have a different China policy?

South Korea’s new progressive president is likely to adopt a more “prudent” stance on Taiwan than his predecessor and focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing, according to observers. But they also expect continuity in trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan. Lee Jae-myung was sworn in after winning a snap election held on Tuesday, two months after his predecessor – Yoon Suk-yeol – was impeached and removed over his abrupt declaration of martial law in December. Lee and his...

Politics

67 h. ago South Korea has a new president. Will it get a new China policy?

South Korea’s new progressive president is likely to adopt a more “prudent” stance on Taiwan than his predecessor and focus on boosting economic ties with Beijing, according to observers. But they also expect continuity in trilateral military cooperation with the US and Japan. Lee Jae-myung was sworn in after winning a snap election held on Tuesday, two months after his predecessor – Yoon Suk-yeol – was impeached and removed over his abrupt declaration of martial law in December. Lee and his...

Politics

69 h. ago South Korea’s new ‘president for all’ inherits a deeply divided nation

When Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung emerged victorious early on Wednesday in South Korea’s snap presidential election, elation swept through his supporters massed outside the National Assembly. Strobe lights lit the night sky, celebratory music thundered from speakers and the crowd erupted into cheers and embraces – some dissolving into tears of relief. Just a few hundred metres away, however, the atmosphere outside the People Power Party’s (PPP) headquarters could not have been more...

Politics

3 d. ago What South Korea’s new president means for its US, China ties

Six months ago, South Korea teetered on the brink of authoritarian regression. But on Tuesday, its citizens elected Lee Jae-myung – a symbol of resilience and reform – as their new president, in a vote seen as a rebuke of his predecessor’s failed martial law decree that plunged the nation into a political crisis. The liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate secured a decisive victory over conservative rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), capturing 49.42 per cent of the...

Politics

4 d. ago South Korea’s Lee pledges warmer ties, but past tensions leave Japan ‘worried’

South Korea’s newly inaugurated President Lee Jae-myung has pledged to pursue warmer ties with Japan, but analysts caution that optimism may be premature, citing his past criticism of Tokyo’s wartime actions and fears he could reignite anti-Japan sentiment to bolster domestic support amid economic challenges. Within hours of taking office, Lee struck a conciliatory tone, calling for collaboration in areas such as trade, security and culture. “We can identify mutually beneficial areas in the...

Events

5 d. ago South Korea’s new leader faces tightrope act between China ties, US alliance

Hours after Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as the president of South Korea early on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a congratulatory message, emphasising that China placed “great importance” on strengthening ties with its neighbour amid an increasingly uncertain global landscape. During his campaign, Lee pledged to repair strained ties with China and North Korea and underscored China’s role as a vital trading partner. Analysts predicted more stable China-South Korea relations to...

Politics

7 d. ago South Korea’s presidential election puts its US alliance, Taiwan stance at stake

As South Koreans prepare to vote in a snap presidential election that could reshape Seoul’s defence spending and its approach to a potential conflict over Taiwan, the future of the nation’s foreign policy and its alliance with the United States hangs in the balance. On Tuesday, South Koreans will go to the polls to elect a successor to impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, with Lee Jae-myung of the centre-left Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) widely expected to win by a comfortable margin. Observers...

Politics

1 week ago South Korean election video pulled after public outcry over misogyny

A video encouraging South Koreans to vote in next week’s presidential elections has sparked public outrage after it featured a male supervisor assaulting a female employee, leading to an apology from local authorities. Gyeongsan, a city located about 300km (186 miles) southeast of Seoul, shared a 49-second video on its YouTube channel on Monday to encourage residents to participate in the election on June 3. In the video, a male supervisor is shown throwing a crumpled a piece of paper at a...

Politics

1 week ago ‘US troops critical’: South Korean presidential candidate signals turn on China

US troops in South Korea could be “critical” for containing China, and might potentially benefit Seoul’s outreach to the Arctic, according to the front runner for the coming presidential election who has signalled a possible change in his position on China. During an exclusive interview with Time Magazine published on Thursday, the Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said US Forces Korea (USFK) could play a “critical role for the United States policy of...

Politics

1 week ago South Korean presidential candidate sorry for misogynistic remark at TV debate

A South Korean presidential candidate has apologised for a sexually explicit comment made during a recent televised debate, in which he asked if sticking chopsticks in women’s genitals was misogyny. Lee Jun-seok, who leads the minor Reform Party, drew widespread backlash from the public and across the political spectrum for the controversial remark on Tuesday. The 40-year-old initially doubled down on his remark on Facebook early on Wednesday, before issuing an apology later in the day while...

Politics

3 w. ago South Korea’s presidential candidates clash over China and US, ‘pragmatic’ policy

PPP’s Kim Moon-soo has accused DPK’s Lee Jae-myung of lacking commitment towards the US-South Korea alliance and the THAAD system.

Politics

3 w. ago South Korea’s presidential candidates focus on economic recovery in first debate

Asia’s fourth-largest economy contracted in the first quarter as exports and consumption stalled amid fears over the impact of tariffs.

Politics

3 w. ago South Korea’s Starbucks ban use of presidential candidates’ names in orders

Customers cannot use the names of all seven presidential candidates in the ‘Call My Name’ service until after the nation’s June 3 snap polls.

Politics

3 w. ago South Korea’s Starbucks bans use of presidential candidates’ names in orders

Customers cannot use the names of all seven presidential candidates in the ‘Call My Name’ service until after the nation’s June 3 snap polls.

Politics

4 w. ago Japan watches South Korea’s presidential polls for signs of warmer ties

Democratic front runner Lee Jae-myung has hinted at closer trade links, but Tokyo remembers past anti-Japan stances.

Politics