South Korea's new president will lessen but not eliminate political instability that has plagued the country since late 2024, pursue pro-labor policies that could raise business costs, and seek to improve ties with China and North Korea, though security ties with the United States may impede the former effort. Early in the morning of June 4, Kim Moon-soo of South Korea's conservative People Power Party (PPP) conceded defeat to Lee Jae-myung of the progressive Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in the June 3 presidential election. As of 6 a.m. Seoul time, the election results indicate that Lee won with 49.4% of the vote versus Kim's 41.2%, with 100% of votes tallied. Lee will be sworn in as soon as the election commission validates the results, likely within the next 24 hours. Kim's loss is partly attributable to his ardent support for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose Dec. 3-4 martial...
