韓国かんこく大統領だいとうりょう選挙せんきょ 当選とうせんしたイ・ジェミョン新しん大統領だいとうりょうが就任しゅうにん

On the 4th, Lee Jae-myung, the newly elected president who won the South Korean presidential election held on the 3rd, was officially inaugurated in the morning, marking the start of his five-year term.

Mr. Lee gave a speech in front of his supporters, stating, It is the presidents responsibility to unify the people, and emphasized his determination to resolve the deepening social divisions and conflicts that have intensified since former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a state of emergency.

The South Korean presidential election, which was held over three days, has finished counting all the votes. Lee Jae-myung of the progressive Democratic Party of Korea won the election, defeating Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party and others.

Mr. Lee Jae-myung gave a speech in front of gathered supporters in the early hours of the 4th, stating, My first mission is to overcome internal strife and to ensure that a military coup never happens again.

On top of that, Even if politicians split into enemies and allies and fight, the people dont need to hate each other in the same way.

He stated, It is the presidents responsibility to unify the nation, and emphasized his commitment to resolving the deepening social division and conflict that have intensified since former President Yoon declared a state of emergency martial law last December.

The National Election Commission of South Korea held a general meeting from 6 a.m. on the 4th and officially confirmed Mr. Lees victory.

This election was held ahead of schedule due to the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, and since there was no previous president, there was no transition period for the transfer of power. Upon confirmation by the election commission, Mr. Lee officially took office as the 21st new president, beginning his five-year term.

The new president is scheduled to attend the inauguration ceremony at the parliament on the 4th and take the oath in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

The background to Mr. Lee Jae-myungs victory is believed to be that he, as the candidate of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, strongly criticized former President Yoon Seok-yeol for declaring a state of emergency and called for a change of government, thereby expanding his support.

Immediately after the declaration of martial law, live broadcasts on social media showed military units heading toward the parliament, calling on the public to protect democracy together.

As the leader of the largest opposition party, he strongly demanded the impeachment of former President Yoon, positioning this election as a judgment on insurrection, and repeatedly criticized the ruling partys response throughout the campaign.

In the election campaign, he refrained from making extreme statements and sought to expand support among independent voters. He also focused on winning over the conservative base, frequently visiting Daegu and Gyeongsang Province in the south, where conservatives have traditionally been strong.

And another factor in their victory was that the ruling conservative party failed to unify their conservative candidates.

The ongoing confusion within the ruling party, such as moves to replace the officially endorsed candidate, prevented the conservative base from uniting, which significantly contributed to Mr. Lees victory.

The background behind Mr. Kim Moon-soo of the ruling party People Power losing is believed to be the strong backlash from voters over former President Yoon Suk-yeols state of emergency, as well as the failure to consolidate conservative candidates.

Ruling party member Mr. Kim was known as a hardline conservative, opposing the impeachment of former President Yoon, but during his campaign speeches, he repeatedly apologized for the state of emergency, saying, I feel sorry to the people.

However, even among the conservative base that supported him, there were voices of criticism regarding the state of emergency and the subsequent political turmoil.

Furthermore, although the ruling partys executive committee suddenly attempted to replace the official candidate, the move was rejected in a party member vote, resulting in Mr. Kim being reinstated as the official candidate, which ended up highlighting the turmoil within the party.

It is also believed that the party’s failure to unite as one in the election campaign was a factor in their inability to increase their votes.

Furthermore, Mr. Kim also sought to unify his candidacy with Lee Jun-seok, who ran from the conservative minor party Reform New Party, but was rejected and it did not materialize. The resulting split in conservative votes was also one of the reasons for his defeat.

Prime Minister Ishibas congratulatory message: An important neighboring country with whom we should cooperate as partners. Prime Minister Ishiba sent a congratulatory message to Mr. Lee Jae-myung, who was inaugurated as the President of South Korea, saying, I sincerely congratulate you on your inauguration as President.

Japan and South Korea are important neighboring countries that should cooperate as partners in addressing various challenges in the international community.

The importance of Japan-South Korea relations remains unchanged under the current strategic environment, and trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States, and South Korea is also important.

Based on the foundation of Japan-Korea relations that has been built since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1965, I hope that we can further develop this relationship.

We would like to ensure communication between the two governments while valuing exchanges between the peoples of both countries, so that Japan-Korea relations can move forward in a stable manner.

U.S. Secretary of State Rubios Statement: We will further deepen trilateral cooperation between Japan, the U.S., and South Korea. On the 3rd, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio issued a statement expressing congratulations to Mr. Lee Jae-myung, who has newly assumed the presidency.

And “the United States and South Korea share an unwavering commitment to their alliance, which is based on a mutual defense treaty, shared values, and deep economic ties.”

He also pointed out that the alliance is being modernized to respond to todays strategic environment and to address new economic challenges.

On top of that, he emphasized the intention to further deepen cooperation among Japan, the U.S., and South Korea in order to strengthen regional security, enhance economic resilience, and uphold shared democratic principles, highlighting the importance of collaboration among the three countries including Japan.

International Affairs Department, Desk Commentary by Takahide Nagasuna Q: What was the reason for Mr. Lee Jae-myungs victory? It can be said that the result reflects the voices of voters who believe that a state of emergency martial law is absolutely unacceptable.

Mr. Lee Jae-myung is facing multiple criminal trials, but there were also voters who said, Even knowing that, its still better than the People Power Party that supported former President Yoon.

The ruling party side exposed confusion when their candidate’s official endorsement was temporarily revoked by the party leadership’s unilateral decision just before the election campaign, only to be reinstated later, and their attempt to consolidate with other conservative candidates also failed.

It is not surprising that voters questioned whether the ruling party, People Power Party, was capable of governing, and Lee Jae-myung became the recipient of such criticism, especially among unaffiliated voters.

Q How will the administration be managed going forward?

Since the Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, will become the ruling party, the deadlock between the president and the National Assembly will be resolved, and the administration will start with a solid foundation.

On the other hand, Mr. Lee Jae-myung is facing multiple criminal trials, and whether the trials for cases in which he was indicted before taking office as president will proceed or be halted was not originally anticipated by the South Korean system.

The Democratic Party is aiming to amend the law so that criminal trial proceedings would be suspended if the defendant is elected president, and will be forced to respond to the reactions of opposition parties and public opinion regarding the judicial risk.

Also, I’m curious about the new administration’s policy toward North Korea.

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which had previously prioritized pressure, is shifting its course for the time being toward resuming dialogue.

However, North Korea is distancing itself from South Korea, saying that it is not a target for peaceful reunification. In addition, as relations with Russia—which continues its invasion of Ukraine—are currently the top priority for North Korea, it is unclear at this stage whether inter-Korean relations will move forward.

Political Department Reporter Manabu Takigawas Explanation Q: How is the Japanese government reacting to Mr. Lee Jae-myungs victory? Since the Japanese government had also analyzed that Mr. Lee Jae-myung was likely to win, we are hearing calm responses such as It was as expected.

The improvement in Japan-South Korea relations progressed partly thanks to the presence of former President Yoon, so I think its true that his impeachment has been a setback.

On the other hand, as the security environment in East Asia becomes increasingly severe, Japan’s stance of valuing South Korea remains unchanged.

Even while the domestic turmoil in South Korea continued and communication between leaders was not possible, we have maintained frequent communication at the working level and other levels.

A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, We have done our best to ensure that, no matter which party wins, the foundation of our relationship will not be shaken.

Can we build on that foundation and establish a stable relationship?

Of course, as Japan, thats what we would like to do, but the reality is that its hard to foresee how things will turn out.

Mr. Lee Jae-myung has also indicated during the election campaign that he values cooperation with Japan.

One government official said, They should be aware that worsening relations with Japan is not in South Korea’s best interest either.

On the other hand, since Mr. Lee Jae-myung has repeatedly made harsh remarks toward Japan in the past, another government official said, Originally, South Korea tends to reject the policies of the previous administration after a change of government, so there is a possibility that they may shift to such an attitude.

I think Japan will first try to build a relationship of trust between the leaders while carefully observing Mr. Lees remarks and the lineup of the new administration.