South Korea Has Elected A Liberal President After The Martial Law Attempt Nearly Destroyed It
61-year-old Lee pledged to restore the country's democracy, which he said had been "destroyed by armored vehicles and rifles," as well as its national and peace.
People in South Korea have elected liberal opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, as the new president six months after the impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to declare martial law threw the country into chaos.
Lee, a human rights lawyer who narrowly lost to Yoon in 2022, was elected on Tuesday, June 3, receiving 49.42% of the votes over the conservative ruling party's candidate.
More than 79% of the population had turned out to vote, the highest since the election in 1997.
Speaking after his victory, 61-year-old Lee pledged to restore the country's democracy, which he said had been "destroyed by armored vehicles and rifles," as well as its national and peace.
He also said he would restart dialogue with North Korea, saying that no matter how costly, peace is always better than war.
"It is better to win without fighting than to win in a fight, and peace with no need to fight is the best security," he added.
Lee also pledged to revive the country's economy and strengthen the country's cooperation with the US and Japan.
Isha Jain
Sofia Hou
Sofia Hou
