Lee Jae-myung elected South Korean president months after martial law crisis

Lee Jae‑myung was elected president of South Korea in a snap election held on Tuesday, six months after he voted against a shock martial law decree imposed by former president Yoon Suk‑yeol. The decree, declared on December 3 2024, led to Yoon’s impeachment and removal from office by the Constitutional Court in April. Lee’s victory, which he called a “judgment day” against the martial law and the People Power Party’s failure to distance itself from the decision, came with a turnout of nearly 80 % of the country’s 44 million eligible voters—the highest since 1997. His main opponent, Kim Moon‑soo, conceded the race shortly after the results were announced.