South Korea presidential election: Analyst Soo Kim on voter concerns, election promises
Vote counting for South Korea's presidential election is underway, with exit polls projecting the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung to win by a landslide. Voter turnout rose past 77% and hit a record high as of 7pm local time. Dr Soo Kim, a former CIA Korea analyst and geopolitical risk consultant, discusses key voter concerns and Mr Lee's election promises.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
17 minutes ago
- CNA
Body of missing Briton found in lift shaft in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police confirmed on Thursday (Jun 5) that the body of a man found a day earlier in a Kuala Lumpur lift shaft was that of a British backpacker who was missing for more than a week. Jordan Johnson-Doyle, 25, was last seen on May 27 at a bar in an upmarket suburb in the capital, sparking a police probe and a frenzied search by his parents. Police on Wednesday afternoon "received information that a man was found lying on his back in the lift (shaft) on the ground floor of a (building) construction site," Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa said in a statement. Fire and rescue services recovered the body, which was sent for a post mortem, he added. "The results found that the cause of death was a chest injury sustained from a fall from height," Rusdi said. "No criminal elements were found at the scene and the case has been classified as a sudden death report," he said, adding the body was identified by the victim's uncle based on a tattoo. Brickfields district police chief Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood confirmed to AFP that Johnson-Doyle was identified as the victim. Johnson-Doyle, a software engineer, was last seen on May 27 in the bustling Bangsar district, known for its nightlife, trendy bars and cafes. Johnson-Doyle's mother Leanne Burnett, 44, told the Free Malaysia Today news website that her husband had travelled to Kuala Lumpur to look for their son, adding that the family was "distraught" over his disappearance.
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Hong Kong appoints New Zealand judge to top court
HONG KONG: A New Zealand judge has been appointed as a justice of Hong Kong's top court, after a years-long exodus of overseas jurists following Beijing's imposition of a sweeping security law on the finance hub. Hong Kong's lawmakers on Wednesday (Jun 4) approved the appointment of William Young, 73, to join five other overseas non-permanent justices from the UK and Australia. Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction separate from mainland China and invites overseas judges to hear cases at its Court of Final Appeal. Their presence has been seen as a bellwether for the rule of law since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. Beijing passed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in the Chinese city the year before. Since then, several overseas judges have quit the Court of Final Appeal without finishing their terms, while others have not renewed their appointments. The lineup of overseas judges has gone from 15 at its peak down to five, not including Young. The newly appointed justice, who retired from his role as a New Zealand Supreme Court judge in April 2022, is expected to start in Hong Kong this month. Hong Kong leader John Lee accepted a recommendation to appoint Young in May and praised him as "a judge of eminent standing and reputation". Cases at the top court in Hong Kong are typically heard by a panel of four local judges and a fifth ad hoc member, who may be a foreign judge. In January, Hong Kong's chief justice said recruiting suitable overseas judges "may be less straightforward than it once was", given geopolitical headwinds. The government has defended the security law as necessary to restore order after the 2019 protests and said the city remains a well-respected legal hub.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
South Korea's new President Lee begins moves to tackle economic ‘crisis'
Mr Lee has made economic recovery one of his top priorities. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung held his first cabinet meeting on June 5 focused on devising an emergency package to address stagnating economic growth and aid households, moving swiftly to start tackling a top campaign pledge. Mr Lee took office on June 4 just hours after riding a wave of anger over a brief martial law imposed by Yoon Suk Yeol to win the snap election. The attempt at military rule led to Yoon's ouster and sent shockwaves through Asia's fourth-largest economy. In brief remarks open to the media, Mr Lee told the Cabinet carried over from the caretaker government put in place following Yoon's impeachment in December 2024 that there was no time to waste in getting to work as the people were facing hardship. Mr Lee has so far only nominated a close political ally and legislative veteran as prime minister and is racing to form a Cabinet and staff his office to maintain continuity in administration. The new leader expressed bewilderment on June 4 after walking into the presidential office to find it stripped of computers, printers and even pens and was quiet like 'a graveyard' with government officials who had been assigned there sent back to their posts. Most of the officials have been ordered back, Mr Lee's spokesperson said on June 4. Mr Lee has made economic recovery one of his top priorities and vowed to immediately unleash fiscal spending of at least 30 trillion won (S$28.3 billion) to boost growth, which was projected by the central bank in May to be almost half of its earlier estimate this year at 0.8 per cent, down from 1.5 per cent in February. Mr Kim Min-seok, whose appointment as prime minister requires parliamentary approval, said on June 4 the country was facing even more economic turmoil than during the Asian financial crisis of 1997, complicated by unfavourable external factors. 'Today, the economy is heading downward and stagnating, which is why I believe it's much more difficult,' he told reporters. The previous government had made little progress in trying to assuage crushing US tariffs that would hit some of the country's major export-reliant industries, including autos, electronics and steel. Mr Lee faces what could be the most daunting set of challenges for a South Korean leader in decades, analysts said, ranging from healing a country deeply scarred by the martial law attempt to tackling unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States. On June 4, Mr Lee withdrew the nomination of two judges to the Constitutional Court, made by acting President Han Duck-soo before the election, his office said. Mr Lee previously said Mr Han had no power to nominate judges as an unelected acting leader. The ruling Democratic Party-controlled parliament also passed on June 5 special counsel acts to investigate former president Yoon on insurrection charges and his wife Kim Keon Hee over corruption allegations. The party had previously passed the special counsel acts on multiple occasions, but they were repeatedly vetoed by Yoon and then the acting president. Yoon is currently facing a separate trial on insurrection charges. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
