A left-leaning politician who said South Korea should not be as “antagonizing” toward communist U.S. adversaries is poised to become the next president of the key American ally, according to multiple reports.
Exit polls on Tuesday showed Lee Jae-myung on track to win South Korea’s presidential election by more than ten percentage points over his conservative challenger, Kim Moon-soo, according to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Lee, the former leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, advocated for more open relations with China and North Korea and less dependency on his nation’s alliance with the U.S. while running for office.
Lee suggested ahead of the election that South Korea’s handling of relations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is “unnecessarily antagonizing” and “neglected,” The Washington Post reported. He also will likely have to work with President Donald Trump on potential changes to the U.S. military presence in South Korea and American tariffs targeting the country’s key industries.
Lee has also argued that “we must keep our distance” if conflict erupts between China and Taiwan, according to The Wall Street Journal. The U.S. has grown increasingly concerned in recent years that China will invade Taiwan and promises to defend it.
The projected shift in South Korea’s leadership follows North Korea’s moves to bolster its nuclear arsenal in 2024, The Associated Press reported.
Lee received positive coverage from the South China Morning Post, an outlet that a 2018 New York Times report described as owned by a CCP-linked company and seeking to promote pro-China narratives. In its reporting on the election results, the Post wrote that former President Yoon “had focused on projecting an image internationally as a pro-democracy crusader against vague ‘communist totalitarian forces,’ a stance [critics] said had contributed to worsening relations with China.” A May article from the Post said Lee’s approach “could ease tensions with China.”
A period of political turmoil preceded the election, with South Korea’s former conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, declaring martial law in December over what he said were security concerns regarding North Korea’s “communist forces,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court later removed Yoon from office, leading to multiple acting presidents serving since. Lee also survived an assassination attempt in January 2024.
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