Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae Myung was officially elected president of South Korea on June 4, 2025 after months of political turmoil triggered by the impeachment and ouster of his political opponents due to a failed attempt to impose martial law.
Lee's victory was highlighted as a remarkable comeback after previously losing narrowly to former President Yoon Suk Yeol by less than 1 percent in the 2022 election.
Yoon's attempt to impose martial law last December 2024 paved the way for Lee's rise, but also deepened political polarization in South Korea.
This victory also comes against complex challenges, ranging from US tariff policies to the threat of North Korea's evolving nuclear weapons program.
Based on the vote count, Lee from the liberal DP won 49.42 percent of the vote, beating the conservative candidate from the People Power Party (PPP), Kim Moon Soo, who won 41.15 percent.
In total, Lee garnered 17.3 million votes, beating Kim by 2.9 million votes. The figure set a record for the highest number of votes in South Korean presidential election history, surpassing the 16.39 million votes won by Yoon in the 2022 election.
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