Li Jo-Min wins on South Korean presidency

South Korea presented the decisive victory of Li Jay-Mun’s opposition candidate six months after the application for martial law did not succeed.

A short but catastrophic step began huge protests and ended the career of former President Jonah Suka Yeola: impeachment and removed from office, he is still facing criminal liability for abuse of his power.

But the political chaos, which followed, means that Lee’s biggest problem is yet to come. It must unite the polarized country that still feels from all this.

He also faces problems abroad – mainly leading negotiations with US President Donald Trump to mitigate the tariffs from the nearest South Korean ally.

His main competitor was the candidate for the ruling party and the former member of the office of Jono Kim Mong-S.

For weeks he spent the election and in the first hours of Wednesday he acknowledged the defeat, congratulating Lee on his victory.

In an earlier speech, Lee hinted at the victory, but ceased to announce it. He said that “restoration” of South Korea’s democracy would be his first priority.

The SNAP elections are held only three years after the 61-year-old guy lost the last application for the presidential part, with a thin razor to Yun.

This is a great return for a person who was caught in several political scandals, from investigations about alleged corruption to family hostility.

Analysts say Victory Lee is also a rejection of the party power (PPP), which was allocated by the Yoon fighting body.

“Voters did not necessarily express strong support for the Lee’s agenda, but they responded to what they saw as a disruption of democracy,” said Park Sung-Min, President of Min Consulting.

“The election became a means of expressing indignation … (and) the obvious reproach of the ruling party, which was an accomplice in or directly responsible for martial law.”

Lee’s victory, he adds, shows that voters put South Korea’s democracy “above all”.

The youth departure also left his former party, divided into outrage, causing penetration, announcing the statement of the presidential candidate until early May.

The chaos in the PPP went beyond only young, because the two executing presidents who went were also impeachment before one of them was restored – a sign of how controversial South Korea’s policy was.

All this certainly helped the opposition Democratic Party and its candidates, who signaled more stability.

But as long as he won the election, his problems are far from over.

He is facing a court in the Supreme Court of charges of violating the election law. The court postponed the trial before the election to avoid interference as the conviction may prohibit it to be challenged.

But it is unclear what will happen when Lee is now guilty, although the law says that the presidential seat cannot be held accountable for criminal offenses, except for the uprising or betrayal.

Lee had a contradictory career in which he created a loyal base, but he also made displeasure and anger for what some called the abrasive style.

He spoke openly about the hard childhood in the working class before he enrolled in college and became a lawyer for human rights.

He then switched to a political career, making his way to DP to – in 2022 – became their presidential candidate. For example, he campaigned on a more liberal platform, promising to solve gender inequality.

But after he lost the vote, he turned, deciding to move more to the center this time and play it safer.

In the office, he will also need to get to the passage and work with the PPP, the party he regularly fought during the young. But he may need some of them to work with him to restore society’s trust and correct the destroyed country.

“The years of escalation of polarization, both under the (previous) administration of the moon and Yun, left the political landscape of South Korea bitter,” said Mr.

“Lee can talk about national unity, but it is facing a deep dilemma: how to pursue responsibility for what many view the uprising without deepening the same divisions that seek to cure.”

Despite the loss of PPP, Yoon is still a much strong and vocal support base – and they are unlikely to leave soon.

Its supporters, mostly young voters and the elderly, often echo strong right stories, and many believe that his military status was necessary to protect the country.

Many also conspiracy theories, believing that the Yun’s party was a victim of the election fraud.

Thousands protested against him impeachment, and in January, shortly after his arrest, the crowd of about-Jona burst into the court building and attacks on police officers.

When yon is gone, there are questions about who can fill this vacuum for his base.

In particular, one name appeared: Lee Jun Seok, who also ran for the president, but refused on Tuesday when the weekend election suggested that he was lagging behind, only 7.7% of the vote.

However, it was particularly popular with many young men for their anti -feminist views, which reminded of some Yoon, in which the equality of women became a polarization theme.

Young people in the 30s went out to a higher number than usual to vote this time, partially involved in candidates like Lee Zhong-Shek. Those who want to prosecute the government, and others who want to provide the presidency of Lee Juhen, led to voter turnout this year, which reached 79.4%since 1997.

However, it is not just healing these sections of the house, which will be engaged in Lee in the near future. It also faces urgent problems abroad, such as US Coore navigation under the new Trump administration.

“South Korea’s pressing internal problems are increasingly intertwined with global dynamics,” Mr. Park said, adding that it has consequences for the economy and protection of the country, given that the US is the main trade partner and security ally.

According to him, the trade transaction with the US is the upper part of the agenda, with sluggish demand and slowing growth already harms the economy.

Lee – an experienced politician – takes office, knowing it all, and in the first hours they promise voters of South Korea.

“I will do my best to fulfill the great responsibility and the mission entrusted to me, so as not to disappoint our people’s expectations,” Lee told reporters.