South Korea: Liberal candidate Lee wins election – DW – 06/03/2025
Skip next section Exit polls forecast landslide victory for Lee Jae-myung and liberals
06/03/2025
June 3, 2025 Exit polls forecast landslide victory for Lee Jae-myung and liberals
A joint exit poll conducted by South Korean broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS on Tuesday suggests that liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung will win the country's presidential election.
The most recent tabulations, with about 78% of votes counted, have Lee taking 51.7% of the tally and conservative challenger Kim Moon Soo scooping up 39.3%.
A spokesman for Lee's Democratic Party said voters had issued "a fiery judgement" of the previous government.
A co-chair from the Conservative party expressed "shock" at the result.
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Turkish authority granted power to censor Quran translations – DW – 06/15/2025
Concerns about religious freedom in Turkey have been growing since early June, when a new law gave the Diyanet the right to ban translations of the Quran that do not comply with its interpretation of Islam. Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs, known as the Diyanet, is one of the country's most influential authorities. According to its own figures, it employs over 140,000 people and offers religious services in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1924, the Diyanet has reported directly to Islamic-conservative president Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2018. Its annual budget of around €3 billion ($3.47 billion) also exceeds those of several ministries, including the Ministry of Interior. The Diyanet manages 90,000 mosques across the country, organizes Quran courses, cultural events and annual pilgrimages, and coordinates slaughters for the Feast of Sacrifice. It also trains imams and deploys them both at home and abroad. Its foundation is active in 150 countries and reaches millions of people through educational programs and scholarships worldwide. The Quran is written in Arabic. Translations are essential to making the text accessible to millions, including those in Turkey Image: Godong/Imago Images New authority over Quran translations In recent years, the Diyanet's powers have expanded. Most recently, a new law that went into effect on June 4 granted the authority to interpret translations of the Quran. If these "do not correspond to the basic characteristics of Islam," they may be banned. "Problematic copies" that have already been published can be confiscated and destroyed. This also applies to digital texts, audio, and video recordings online. Previously, President Erdogan had granted this authority by decree, which allowed the Diyanet to classify some translations as "untruthful." But the decree was struck down by the Constitutional Court. But the new law has ensured that the Diyanet's power would indeed be constitutional. Critics allege censorship In Muslim-majority countries, heads of state regularly invoke Islam to justify their actions. For example, in Iraq, the once secular Saddam Hussein used religious tenets to justify his autocratic measures and war with Iran. In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been accused of using the push for more religious openness as an excuse to crack down on his political opponents. And as the Middle East Institute has noted, Erdogan's political party, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, "maintains the loyalty of its base through a historical narrative of religion and nationalism." Now theologians critical of the government allege that Turkey's new law amounts to censorship, calling it state-enforced Islam that endangers religious freedom. For well-known theologian Sonmez Kutlu, it is a declaration of bankruptcy by the state. A country with over 100,000 Diyanet employees and more than 100 theology faculties should be able to protect the Quran from allegedly problematic translations via intellectual and scientific methods rather than bans, he says. He also warns that publications containing translated verses that allegedly "contradict the fundamental characteristics of Islam" could also lead to investigations and prosecutions. The Quran translation by Ihsan Eliacik has already been classified as 'problematic' and banned. Eliacik is one of the theologians who are critical of the Diyanet Image: ANKA Theologian Ihsan Eliacik sees the Diyanet's new authority as a fundamental violation of the faith. "In Islam, no institution is allowed to stand between people and Allah. However, the Diyanet's review of the Quran for 'truthfulness' does exactly that," he says. Eliacik's own translation of the Quran was previously banned by the Diyanet. He appealed to the Constitutional Court and won. But under the new legal provisions, taking action like this is no longer possible. Religious orders gain influence In recent years, Eliacik, Kutlu and other theologians critical of the government have repeatedly been the target of smear campaigns by pro-government brotherhoods and Islamist orders. Omer Ozsoy, theology professor at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, suspects the growing influence on the government from these religious orders is behind the new law. "These circles have been openly opposing academic, critical and pluralistic theology at Turkey's Islamic theological faculties for around a decade," Ozsoy says. He has observed how they "have been conducting systematic campaigns against high-profile theologians for some time." Ozsoy fears that the new law could be broadly applied with repressive and politically motivated interpretations. "Translator colleagues report that the Diyanet has already prepared to impound a total of 12 translations, including those by Mustafa Oztürk and Edip Yuksel," he adds. Opinion research institute KONDA reports that the proportion of people in Turkey who describe themselves as religious has fallen from 55% in 2018 to 46% today Image: Shady Al-Assar/ZUMA/picture alliance The role of translations The Quran is written in Arabic. Translations of Islam's holy book are essential to making the texts accessible to millions of people. However, they also contain interpretations, especially in the case of ambiguous words or passages, making them a sensitive topic. The importance of Quran translations in non-Arabic-speaking countries such as Turkey has increased in recent years. In the past, explained Ozsoy, "it was up to religious scholars to deal with the Quran." Today, however, things are different, he said. "Today, lay believers read the Quran directly and interpret it independently," adding that this is due to critical thinking and the emergence of various movements and social currents. According to Ozsoy, the number of Turkish Quran translations has increased in recent decades. Among the translators there are many without professional qualifications. This problem is widely discussed among experts and there is extensive academic literature on the subject. Observers suspect the influence of Islamist orders behind the new law. Here, President Erdogan visits the Ismail-Aga order in Istanbul in 2020 Image: ANKA More non-believers Religion has become a focal point of Turkish social discourse. Young people in particular are engaged in reading scripture and questioning many theories — a cause for concern within the government. President Erdogan has emphasized repeatedly that he wants to raise a "pious generation." However, recent studies by the opinion research institute KONDA show the opposite: The proportion of people who describe themselves as religious has fallen from 55% in 2018 to 46% now, while the proportion of atheists or non-believers has risen from 2% to 8% in the same period. This article was originally written in German.
DW
4 days ago
- DW
South Korea halts propaganda broadcasts along border – DW – 06/12/2025
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung ordered the discontinuation of the loudspeakers to "promote peace on the Korean Peninsula." In return, Pyongyang appears to have stopped its loudspeakers near the border. South Korea's military shut down loudspeaker blasting propaganda against North Korea along the border on Wednesday, marking newly elected President Lee Jae-myung's first major step to reduce cross-border tensions. On Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, in return, the North appears to have stopped its loudspeakers near the border targeting the South. Although, it remains unclear if Pyongyang has officially ended its campaign. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung had made the discontinuation of the loudspeakers a campaign promise, so as "to restore trust in inter-Korean relations and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula." Kang Yu-jung, Lee's spokesperson, described the decision as a "proactive step" to reduce military tensions in the region. Engaging in psychological warfare The broadcasts, which included propaganda messages and K-pop music, had resumed in June 2024 after North Korea launched thousands of trash-filled balloons toward the South in a psychological campaign. In retaliation, Pyongyang began its own blaring broadcasts featuring howling animals, pounding gongs and other irritating sounds. Residents near the border had long complained about the noise from both sides. Seoul said North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts were not heard on Thursday Image: Im Sun-suk/Yonhap via AP/picture alliance Seoul looks to reopen communication The broadcasts were part of a Cold War-style standoff that escalated alongside North Korea's nuclear weapons development and closer military ties with Russia. In his inaugural address last week, Lee vowed to reopen communication channels with North Korea. However, the road forward remains uncertain as Pyongyang continues to reject diplomatic overtures. In recent years, nuclear-armed North Korea has grown closer to Moscow, reportedly supplying thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment to support Russia's war in Ukraine. There are growing concerns that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's deepening ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin could result in technology transfers that would bolster North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs.
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5 days ago
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South Korea: Can new president end 'revenge politics'? – DW – 06/11/2025
Each of the previous six South Korean presidents has faced criminal investigations during or after leaving office. President Lee had promised to break that streak, but has launched his own probe into his predecessor. Despite pleas for reconciliation and a break from the cycle of political revenge before and since South Korea's recent presidential elections, it appears newly elected President Lee Jae-myung is showing no mercy to his predecessor, the deposed Yoon Suk Yeol, and has approved new investigations into the former president and his wife. Each of the last six South Korean leaders going back to Roh Moo-hyun, who was elected in 2003, has faced criminal investigations by subsequent administrations for their actions in office or for other alleged wrongdoings, usually with disastrous consequences. Roh died by suicide after being accused of bribery while his successor, Lee Myung-bak, was convicted after leaving office for bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The next occupant of the presidential Blue House, Park Geun-hye, was impeached in 2016 for influence-peddling and given a 25-year prison term for corruption. The next full-time president was Moon Jae-in, who was in April 2025 indicted on corruption charges related to his son-in-law obtaining a job at an airline in a case that is ongoing. His replacement was Yoon, who was struggling in the public opinion polls in December when he declared a short-lived martial law that now sees him on trial for insurrection. Yoon was removed from power after he declared a short-lived martial law and he's now facing a trial for insurrection Image: Kim Soo-hyeon/REUTERS A vow to break the cycle In a press conference on May 25, just nine days before the election, Lee said only he could end the cycle of political retaliation, as he had been on the receiving end of such attacks. But on Tuesday, one week after election day, President Lee signed bills mandating special counsel investigations into Yoon's declaration of martial law — in addition to the court case that is ongoing — as well as a probe of his wife, Kim Keon-hye, on suspicion of corruption. "I am going to admit that I am very disappointed that the same vicious cycle of revenge we have seen in the past is repeating again," said Kim Sang-woo, a former politician with the left-leaning South Korean Congress for New Politics and now a member of the board of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation. "The People Power Party (PPP) is in complete disarray since the election and is not a forceful adversary for Lee or the Democratic Party (DP), so this could have been an opportunity for a conciliatory approach to the opposition, to improve the political situation and move away from the confrontational politics that we have experienced for so long," he told DW. "It is clear that is not happening and I worry that Lee will use the huge power that he now has for his own gain," Kim said. "I fear for the country's political future." S. Korean bombs hit near N. Korea border in military drill To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Lee wields great power Lim Eun-jung, a professor of international studies at Kongju National University, has similar concerns about the concentration of power in Lee's hands. "There were good reasons why each of the former presidents went to prison, but this time Lee kept saying that he did not want revenge," she said. "Yoon may deserve arrest and indictment for declaring martial law, but was launching a special investigation into his wife necessary?" Kim Sang-woo, of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation, points out that Lee himself has been the subject of a number of legal cases dating back to 2018 and including publishing false information over elections and breaching campaign laws by lying during a televised debate in 2020. In 2023, he became the first serving politician since 1998 to be questioned about a criminal case when he was quizzed over corporate donations in return for favors. He was indicted the same year on bribery, corruption, breach of trust and conflict of interest charges over a massive construction project in the town of Seongnam, where he was previously mayor. He has also been accused of illegally funneling $8 million (€7 million) to North Korea through a clothing company. On June 5, the Supreme Court confirmed a prison sentence for one of Lee's closest advisers for his part in the North Korean funds case, although Lee has constantly managed to delay rulings that would have made him ineligible to run in the presidential election. South Korea goes all in on nuclear energy To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Retrial delayed On June 9, the Seoul High Court ruled that a retrial on election law violation charges would have to be delayed until after Lee leaves office, as the South Korean constitution exempts a sitting president from criminal prosecution, except in the case of insurrection or treason. "Lee has a lot of power now and it is possible that he will try to protect himself after his term is completed by passing new laws," Kim said. "If he does try to do that then I think it will be very detrimental to his support and the public will be angry, especially the moderates who supported him this time," he added. "If the Democratic Party does push through legislation like that, then South Korea will be in a situation where politicians become even more set on confrontation rather than trying to find ways to reconcile their differences, through dialogue, through compromise." Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
