Liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung elected South Korea’s new President

South Korea’s liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung was elected President, a victory that would cap months of political turmoil triggered by the stunning but brief imposition of martial law by now-ousted conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korea’s liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung was elected President early on Wednesday (June 4, 2025, KST), a victory that would cap months of political turmoil triggered by the stunning but brief imposition of martial law by now-ousted conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol.

It was unclear whether Mr. Lee’s election would cause any major, immediate shift in South Korea’s foreign policy. Mr. Lee, previously accused by critics of tilting toward China and North Korea and away from the U.S. and Japan, has repeatedly stressed South Korea’s alliance with the U.S. as the foundation of its foreign policy.

The toughest external challenges awaiting a new president are U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. But experts say whoever becomes President can’t do much to secure major progress in South Korea’s favor on those issues.

With nearly 95% of ballots counted as of 2.40 a.m. KRT on Wednesday (June 4, 2025), Mr. Lee, the Democratic Party candidate, led with 48.86% of votes. The main conservative candidate, Kim Moon Soo, had 41.98%.

The exit poll by South Korea’s three major television stations — KBS, MBC and SBS — earlier showed Mr. Lee projected to obtain 51.7% of total votes cast, beating Mr. Kim with 39.3%. Pre-election surveys suggested Mr. Lee appeared headed for an easy win, riding on deep public frustration over the conservatives in the wake of Mr. Yoon’s martial law debacle.

Even before Mr. Lee’s win was formally declared, Mr. Kim conceded, telling journalists he “humbly accepts the people’s choice” and congratulated Mr. Lee.

Earlier, Mr. Lee appeared before thousands of cheering supporters in the streets of Seoul. He didn’t formally claim victory but reiterated his major policy goals such as revitalizing the economy, promoting peace with North Korea and easing a domestic divide.