Lee also vowed to revive the economy and seek peace with nuclear-armed North Korea through dialogue and strength.
The martial law decree and the six months of ensuing turmoil, which saw three different acting presidents and multiple criminal insurrection trials for Yoon and several top officials, marked a stunning political self-destruction for the former leader and effectively handed the presidency to his main rival.
Yoon was impeached by the Lee-led parliament, then removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April, less than three years into his five-year term, triggering the snap election that now stands to remake the country’s political leadership and foreign policies of a key US ally.
Lee has accused the PPP of having condoned the martial law attempt by not fighting harder to thwart it and even trying to save Yoon’s presidency.
Kim was Yoon’s labour minister when the former president declared martial law on Dec 3.
“I was here on Dec 3 after martial was declared and December 14 when Yoon was impeached,” said Choi Mi-jeong, 55, a science teacher who gathered outside parliament to hear Lee speak. “Now Lee Jae-myung is becoming president. I hope he will become a leader who supports ordinary people, not vested interests, not a small number of riches.”
A daunting slate of economic and social challenges awaits the new leader, including a society deeply scarred by divisions following the martial law attempt and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally.
The government under a caretaker acting president had made little progress in trying to assuage crushing tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration that would hit some of the country’s major industries, including autos and steel.
“President Lee will find himself with little to no time to spare before tackling the most important task of his early presidency: reaching a deal with Trump,” the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in an analysis.
The White House said the election of Lee was “free and fair” but the United States remained concerned and opposed to Chinese interference and influence in democracies around the world, according to a White House official.
The alliance between the US and South Korea remains “ironclad,” the official said.
