Chicago – June 03, 2025
In a surprising turn of events, Lee Jae-myung, the candidate from South Korea’s liberal party, won the presidency in a snap election held on Tuesday. This victory came just six months after Lee managed to vote against a surprise martial law order, which had been imposed by his rival, the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon, who had narrowly defeated Lee in the 2022 election, was later removed from office, leading to Lee’s rise.
Speaking to his supporters outside parliament, Lee expressed confidence, saying, “We can overcome this temporary difficulty with the combined strength of our people, who have great capabilities.” He also promised to work on reviving the economy and establishing peaceful talks with North Korea, which has nuclear weapons.
Voter turnout was exceptionally high, with nearly 80% of South Korea’s 44.39 million eligible voters casting their ballots, the highest since 1997. According to the National Election Commission, with over 99% of the votes counted, Lee led with 49.3%, while his opponent, Kim Moon-soo of the PPP, had 41.3%.
The turmoil caused by the martial law decree resulted in three acting presidents and several trials for Yoon and his officials, marking a dramatic collapse for the former leader. This crisis ultimately paved the way for Lee to take the presidency.
One supporter, Choi Mi-jeong, a 55-year-old science teacher, shared her hopes for the new president: “I hope he will be a leader who supports ordinary people, not the wealthy few.” The official election results were expected to be confirmed by the National Election Commission on Wednesday.
