South Korea's Incoming President Vows to Pursue Talks with N. Korea
(MENAFN) South Korea's incoming president, Lee Jae-myung, delivered his first public remarks on North Korea Tuesday, pledging to pursue dialogue and "co-prosperity" with Pyongyang to help stabilize the Korean Peninsula, according to local media reports. At the same time, he promised to "overcome insurrection" within the country.
Lee spoke as vote counts showed him leading the presidential race, prompting his opponent Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party to concede defeat. The election marks a dramatic shift after years of deteriorating inter-Korean relations under ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Addressing a crowd outside the National Assembly, Lee declared that his "first mission" as president would be to “make sure that there will never again be another military coup” in South Korea—a nation that experienced military rule until transitioning to democracy in the early 1980s.
The snap election followed a political crisis triggered by former President Yoon's controversial attempt to impose martial law last December. The move backfired, leading to his impeachment by parliament and subsequent removal from office by South Korea's Constitutional Court in April.
Yoon became the first president in South Korea’s history to be arrested and formally charged with abuse of power and insurrection. He remains under a travel ban.
Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential race, is now set for a single five-year term, as reported by a local news agency, which noted he was "certain" to secure victory in the emergency vote.
Prioritizing economic recovery, Lee vowed to improve citizens’ livelihoods "as soon as possible."
Although about 15% of ballots had yet to be tallied, Kim Moon-soo acknowledged defeat.
Polling stations operated from 6 a.m. local time (2100GMT Monday) to 8 p.m. (1100GMT), with voter turnout reaching 79.4%—the highest in nearly three decades. By comparison, the 2022 election saw a 77.1% turnout.
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