A divided mandate and the weight of expectations for Korea’s new president

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A divided mandate and the weight of expectations for Korea’s new president

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 00:01

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Song Ho-keun

The author is a columnist of the JoongAng Ilbo and a chair professor and director of Doheon Academy, Hallym University

No one truly won in Korea’s latest presidential election. The results were a study in balance. Lee Jae-myung, long expected to secure a decisive victory, stalled at the 50-percent mark. His conservative challenger Kim Moon-soo reached the final stretch breathless and behind, while Lee Jun-seok, weighed down by controversy, fell short despite visible youth support.

A worker uses a skid steer to move stone in front of the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge where the G7 Leaders meeting will take place from June 15 to 17, is pictured in Kananaskis, Alberta, Monday, June 2, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

The margin between progressive and conservative blocs was razor thin — just 0.93 percentage points. It was a virtually even split. The electorate responded to Lee’s momentum with restraint and offered a surprising degree of support to a disorganized conservative camp. It was a signal that Korean voters were not endorsing a single agenda, but rather trying to impose mutual checks through the ballot box.

The message was clear: no side has a mandate to claim sweeping victory. The public handed out just enough votes to each camp to prevent dominance. Progressives would be wise to reflect on this, especially after witnessing the fate of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which ignored its narrow 0.73-point win and eventually collapsed under its own weight. When a political bloc overreaches in a polarized electorate, the nation itself risks becoming the true loser.

Seven days into office, President Lee’s early steps have been cautious. While political tension remains palpable, his approach contrasts with that of his predecessors, whose symbolic gestures made loud statements from the start. Lee Myung-bak rushed to an industrial zone the day after taking office to uproot a utility pole, declaring war on regulations. Park Geun-hye released a giant multicolored pouch over Gwanghwamun Plaza, invoking national fortune in ways that seemed drawn from folk beliefs. Moon Jae-in visited Incheon International Airport to announce the start of a “zero irregular worker” era.

President Lee Jae-myung, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump [EPA/YONHAP]

None of those moments lived up to their promises. Lee Myung-bak’s term stumbled from the outset with the mad cow disease protests, and then became mired in his four-river construction projects. Park Geun-hye, secluded inside the presidential residence, left governing to her inner circle. Despite early pledges, irregular employment increased under Moon, and the job board he once showcased quietly disappeared.

Lee’s slogan of a “just, pragmatic and flexible” government borrows selectively from past administrations. To succeed, he must abandon some of the deeply held views that fueled his rise. Populist confrontation will make unity impossible. Corporate regulation and universal basic income do not align with pragmatism. And flexibility will remain elusive if ideological rigidity persists.

The ruling Democratic Party’s behind-the-scenes legislative push is already raising concerns. Proposals such as increasing Supreme Court justices, expanding special counsel laws, disciplining prosecutors and insulating Lee from legal scrutiny risk undermining democratic balance. A government with unchecked control over the judiciary, legislature and executive branches invites authoritarian drift, regardless of intent.

In this context, Lee’s decision to attend the upcoming G7+ summit is welcome. Having spent most of his career in local politics and as a combative opposition leader, the international stage offers him an opportunity to view Korea — and himself — from a broader perspective. Observing how world leaders respond to his sweeping domestic control may help reshape his approach at home.

President Lee Jae-myung speaks during his first Cabinet meeting since taking office at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on June 5, 2025. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE POOL]

A particular challenge will be engaging with U.S. President Donald Trump. The ideological gap between the two is vast. The congratulatory message from Washington raised concerns about China’s influence. Lee’s past remarks, which hinted at pro-China or pro-North Korea leanings, have not gone unnoticed by Trump’s inner circle. Right-wing U.S. voices have even accused him of having communist sympathies. Lee must now confront global scrutiny of a kind unlike any he has faced before.

Korea is not a nation defined by factional loyalty in the legislature. It is a country of ambition, resilience and cultural innovation. Lee’s administration holds tremendous power. But that power demands awareness, restraint and the ability to see beyond domestic arenas. Failure to do so risks making not just Lee but the entire nation a loser.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.