Lee Jae-myung, leader of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, had a clear lead in polls going into the election, which is being held six months to the day after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the East Asian democracy of more than 50 million people into turmoil by abruptly declaring martial law. Though Lee has moved toward the center during the campaign, he is generally seen as more open to China and North Korea than his predecessor and less friendly toward Japan, which is part of a trilateral security partnership with the United States and South Korea. “I think that there will be some more balancing act between the United States and China,” she said, and if the Trump administration “comes out hard” on issues such as tariffs or cost-sharing for the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, “I think there may be a lot more frictions ahead.”
Author: Jennifer Jett, Stella Kim
Published at: 2025-06-02 22:00:00
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