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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
South Korea's opposition leader Lee wins election as voters punish conservatives after martial law chaos
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as South Korea's next president on Wednesday following a dramatic snap election six months after the country's previous leader declared martial law and plunged the nation into chaos. Official results showed Lee winning by nearly three million votes ahead of his main rival, Kim Moon-soo of the incumbent conservative People Power Party. Kim conceded defeat early Wednesday morning, congratulating Lee on his victory in a speech and saying that he 'humbly accept(s) the people's decision.' Addressing crowds of supporters in Seoul, Lee promised to 'work to restore the economy' from day one and to ensure there will never be a military coup. Lee was promptly inaugurated on Wednesday morning. The ceremony was scaled-down, with some brief musical performances and a speech from the new leader – Lee had wanted to keep it simple and 'focus on state affairs immediately after being sworn in,' according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety. This election was closely watched and may now offer South Koreans some semblance of political stability after half a year of uncertainty and turmoil as the US ally and economic powerhouse navigated the aftermath of the martial law crisis. It also comes as South Korea's export-oriented economy grapples with global events like US President Donald Trump's tariffs and a potential recession, all without a permanent leader at the helm. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on December 3 last year in a short-lived power-grab that was halted after lawmakers pushed their way past soldiers into the legislature and voted to block the decree. Yoon was impeached soon after and formally removed from office in April. In the months since that dramatic night, South Korea's government has been in disarray, with a revolving door of interim leaders ahead of the snap election. The acting leader of Lee's Democratic Party, Park Chan-dae, said in an interview Tuesday night that the results reflected 'people's fiery judgement against the insurrection regime.' Voter turnout reached nearly 80%, according to the country's National Election Commission, marking the highest turnout since the 1997 election. Lee, a divisive figure within Korean politics, emerged early on as the frontrunner, despite recent legal challenges and allegations of corruption and abuse of power. He now faces a host of issues waiting to be tackled. South Korea's economy has stuttered in recent months, with rising costs of living and lower consumption. There are trade talks with the US over Trump's tariffs, although no deal has been struck yet. There are also national challenges like the country's aging society and falling birthrate, and geopolitical tensions with China and North Korea. A former underage factory worker from a poor family, Lee became a human rights lawyer before entering politics. He is a former mayor of Seongnam city, home to around 1 million people, and governor of Gyeonggi province, and most recently served as a lawmaker after narrowly losing to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election. He survived an assassination attempt in January 2024 when a man stabbed him in the neck during a public event in the city of Busan. The injury required surgery, but was not life threatening, officials said at the time. Later that year, he again made headlines on the night Yoon declared martial law and sent troops to parliament, becoming one of the lawmakers who rushed to the legislature and pushed past soldiers to hold an emergency vote to lift martial law. He livestreamed himself jumping over a fence to enter the building, in a viral video viewed tens of millions of times. On the campaign trail, often speaking behind bulletproof glass and wearing a bulletproof vest, Lee promised political and economic reforms, including more controls on a president's ability to declare martial law, and revising the constitution to allow two four-year presidential terms instead of the current single five-year term. He also supports boosting small businesses and growing the AI industry. He has emphasized easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula while holding onto the longtime goal of denuclearizing North Korea. His aides say human rights will remain central to engagement with Pyongyang, including discussions on returning any living prisoners of war from the 1950-53 Korean War. But Lee has also been embroiled in controversy, including several ongoing trials for alleged bribery and charges related to a property development scandal. Separately, he was convicted of violating election law in another ongoing case that alleges he knowingly made a false statement during a debate in the last presidential campaign. The case has been sent to an appeals court. Lee denies all the charges against him. Speaking to CNN in December, he claimed he had been indicted on various charges 'without any evidence or basis,' and that the allegations are politically motivated. Opponents accuse Lee of being a polarizing figure in South Korean politics, openly criticizing former President Yoon and blocking legislation proposed by Yoon's government. Yoon even cited Lee's Democratic Party and its undermining of the government's budget bill as a reason for declaring martial law. Lee's team has pledged to reestablish trust with the US, which his advisers have said was weakened during the martial law crisis. The Biden administration was caught off guard by the brief challenge to South Korea's democracy, experts say, after the White House invested significant time to forge a landmark security partnership between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. Ahead of the election, Lee's foreign policy adviser Wi Sunglac said the alliance with Washington would remain the 'cornerstone' of South Korea's diplomacy. Relations with China and Russia, strained in recent years, will be managed through 'strategic engagement,' with Lee's camp saying peace and security in the region require ongoing dialogue with both. Seoul is also actively negotiating with the US over Trump's tariffs, which include a 25% levy on South Korean exports and 25% duties on imports of automobiles and steel products. Trump has suggested more duties on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals – all predominant industries for South Korea's economy. This is a developing story.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Do you take this man? Wedding halls double as polling stations
With just a day left before the 21st presidential election, polling stations set up in unconventional locations — not the usual public schools and community centers — are drawing public interest. According to Article 147 of the Public Official Election Act, polling stations are to be primarily set up at schools, district offices and community centers for the convenience of voters. However, if publicly owned spaces are not available, they can be hosted by private facilities. During the parliamentary elections in April 2024, some polling stations were set up at unique locations, such as wedding halls, wrestling facilities, restaurants and cafes. For Tuesday's presidential election, privately owned sports facilities, such as an indoor badminton court in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, and a wrestling facility in Busan have been designated as polling stations. Other unusual locations to cast a ballot include a cafe and a restaurant in Gangdong-gu, eastern Seoul, a campground in Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province, and a wedding hall in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Once a polling station has been set up at a privately owned business, the venue is required to close two days before the election for the installation of voting booths and other necessary arrangements. These businesses may also choose to accept a small amount of compensation or a rental fee of several hundred thousand won from the National Election Commission. A manager at the wedding hall in Pohang, which has been used as a polling station for over 20 years, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying that they provide the venue for free on Election Day 'for the convenience of nearby residents.' Voting in the 21st presidential election will take place on Tuesday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 14,295 polling stations nationwide. Unlike in the early voting period from May 29 to 30, voters must cast their ballots at their designated polling stations. Approximately 260,000 people have been designated as voting officers, responsible for counting votes and managing polling stations across the country. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, some 44.4 million South Korean voters, including 258,254 voters overseas, are eligible to vote in this year's election.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
From badminton courts to wedding halls: Unique polling stations catch the eye of voters
With just a day left before the 21st presidential election, polling stations set up in unconventional locations -- not the usual public schools and community centers -- are drawing public interest. According to Article 147 of the Public Official Election Act, polling stations are to be primarily set up at schools, district offices and community centers for the convenience of voters. However, if publicly owned spaces are not available, they can be hosted by private facilities. During the parliamentary elections in April 2024, some polling stations were set up at unique locations, such as wedding halls, wrestling facilities, restaurants and cafes. For Tuesday's presidential election, privately owned sports facilities, such as an indoor badminton court in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, and a wrestling facility in Busan have been designated as polling stations. Other unusual locations to cast a ballot include a cafe and a restaurant in Gangdong-gu, eastern Seoul, as well as a campground in Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province, and a wedding hall in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Once a polling station has been set up at a privately owned business, the venue is required to close two days prior to the election for the installation of voting booths and other necessary arrangements. These businesses may also choose to accept a small amount of compensation or a rental fee of several hundred thousand won from the National Election Commission. A manager at the wedding hall in Pohang, which has been used as a polling station for over 20 years, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying that they provide the venue for free on Election Day 'for the convenience of nearby residents.' Voting in the 21st presidential election will take place on Tuesday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 14,295 polling stations nationwide. Unlike in the early voting period from May 29 to 30, voters must cast their ballots at their designated polling stations. Approximately 260,000 people have been designated as voting officers, responsible for counting votes and managing polling stations across the country. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, some 44.4 million South Korean voters, including 258,254 voters overseas, are eligible to vote in this year's election.
Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Govt. to reinforce measures to improve prediction for spread of wildfires
Evacuation alerts to be categorized into three different levels based on wildfires' spread The South Korean government said Wednesday it will update the current Wildfire Spread Prediction System to better handle the rapid spread of wildfires, by adopting appropriate prevention measures that consider the maximum instantaneous wind speeds rather than average wind speeds. The Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korea Forest Service announced a set of measures for safe and effective evacuation from fires, after southeastern parts of Korea battled some of the worst wildfires in the country's history that continued for nine days from March 21. Authorities said errors in the system were found during the latest wildfires, which were recorded at a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 27.6 meters per second. This corresponds to wildfires spreading at a speed of 8.2 kilometers per hour. These figures however, were largely inaccurate because the system accounted only for wind speeds on flat terrain. As the March fires occurred in mountainous areas, the existing system failed to take into account steep topography that can cause sudden shifts in wind direction and speed, resulting in misleading forecasts. 'Though the government continuously referred to the Wildfire Spread Prediction System to issue evacuation orders as it did in the past, the system proved to be highly inaccurate during the recent wildfire crisis,' said Hong Jong-wan, deputy minister of the Interior Ministry's Societal Disaster Response Bureau. To address the recent shortcomings, the Korea Forest Service plans to upgrade its wildfire prediction system to factor in maximum instantaneous wind speeds rather than average wind speeds. If maximum wind speeds exceed 20 m/s, the system will recognize it has potential to grow into a high-speed fire and alert local governments of affected areas to take appropriate measures. Additionally, the alert system will be upgraded to distinguish whether a wildfire's path has been identified or remains unknown. If the wildfire's route has been identified with the help of firefighting helicopters and drones, the system will continuously work to calculate the potential reach of the flames based on maximum wind speeds and other real-time data. Also, using the data calculated on the prediction system, the government will categorize the evacuation alert into three different levels. The first level will be issued when a wildfire breaks out in a nearby province or city to inform its residents that an evacuation order could be issued soon. The second and third levels will be issued for areas designated as 'potential danger zones' and 'danger zones' and evacuation protocol will differ accordingly. To make sure evacuation measures play out effectively in and orderly manner, the Interior Ministry added that it will initiate fire evacuation training sessions in partnership with local governments. Though the ministry didn't specify until when the training sessions would take place, Hong told the press that it will 'take place on numerous accounts and as soon as possible, with the earliest training sessions scheduled to take place by the end of April.'
Korea Herald
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Why damage from the deadly fires is so high
Rain expected on Thursday, but won't be enough to put out fires: weather agency As a deadly wave of wildfires continued to ravage southeastern parts of South Korea on Wednesday, the region saw a highly alarming increase in human and infrastructure damage overnight, with ineffective governmental evacuation efforts and climate change cited as the main factors. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, a total of 24 people had died in the wildfires and 26 had been injured as of 4 p.m., Wednesday. Since Friday, the wildfires have burned down a total of 17,534 hectares of forest, with Uiseong County and Andong in North Gyeongsang Province suffering the most damage, accounting for 15,158 hectares. As of press time, 209 homes, factories, temples and cultural properties in the southeastern region have also suffered damage. Victims mostly elderly A majority of those who died were found to be older people, mostly aged 60 and above, who faced difficulties in quickly evacuating to safety. In Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, three residents of a senior care home died when the vehicle they were evacuating in exploded after being engulfed in flames. All three were in their 80s and had mobility issues. A total of six people were in the vehicle at the time, including three care workers. An elderly couple in their 80s was also found dead on a road heading downhill from their home in Yeongdeok. Authorities believe the couple was caught in the flames while trying to evacuate. In Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province, two civilians in their 70s and 80s were found dead in their homes. In Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, a woman in her 50s and another in her 70s were also found dead at a yard in front of their homes. As most of those affected were found to have died while attempting to flee from the fires, authorities faced criticism for failing to help civilians flee to safety. A resident of Cheongsong in his 60s, surnamed Kim, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying that there was 'no guidance (by authorities) as to which direction was safe or dangerous' to evacuate to. 'They just told us to evacuate quickly, so I just ran outside -- but it was frustrating that there were no clear or proactive instructions,' said Kim. Authorities also faced criticism for sending out emergency mobile alerts too late, failing to clearly inform people of nearby evacuation centers or proactively assist in early evacuations before the wildfires reached the villages. According to emergency message records from the Ministry of Interior and Safety's National Disaster Safety Portal, Yeongdeok County Office sent out an emergency alert to residents in Jipyeong around 12:07 a.m., advising them to evacuate toward Ganggu, Namjeong or Pohang. However, the fires reached Ganggu and Namjeong around 30 minutes later, prompting another emergency message to be sent telling residents to 'evacuate toward Pohang' instead. 'The fire that originally broke out near Jipyeong spread toward Ganggu and Namjeong within just 30 minutes. The situation deteriorated rapidly,' a Yeongdeok County Office official told the press on Wednesday. 'With power outages across several parts of the county, we ended up urgently sending out a message advising people to evacuate toward Pohang instead.' Also, in Cheongsong, information regarding evacuation centers changed up to four times in a span of 30 minutes, raising confusion among evacuees. A Cheongsong resident, identified by their last name Lee, was quoted by Yonhap as feeling 'anxious and scared' after receiving so many emergency alerts in a short period of time. In some villages in Yeongdeok, up to 104 evacuees gathered near harbors to escape the fire, as they lacked information regarding where to evacuate and where the nearest evacuation shelters were. The evacuees were later successfully rescued by the Uljin Coast Guard. 'We provided information regarding evacuation shelters in advance, but with fires breaking out in all directions, people couldn't figure out where to go and fled toward the water,' a Yeongdeok County Office official said. 'Since evacuating by car was impossible, the Coast Guard had to step in for rescue." Climate change According to the National Institute of Forest Science, large forest fires will become more frequent as climate change intensifies. Climate factors that contribute to wildfires include humidity, temperature and wind speed, according to the institute. Climate change leads to higher global temperatures, which can dry out forests and make them more susceptible to fires. Higher temperatures increase the rate of evaporation, reducing soil moisture and drying out vegetation, allowing fires to ignite and spread. Stronger wind patterns may also be observed due to climate change, which can make fires spread more quickly and intensely, making it harder to control fires once they start. The southeastern region's wildfires from Saturday intensified mainly due to extremely dry conditions and strong winds. According to the NIFS report, if overall forest temperatures rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius, wildfire risks are projected to increase by 8.6 percent. An increase of 2 C could cause wildfire risk to increase by 13.5 percent. The national average forest temperature from 2000 to 2019 was 11.9 C, according to the report, and if climate change continues to intensify, the average temperature is expected to increase to 14.1 C by the 2050s. Will it rain? From Wednesday evening, rain is expected to begin on Jeju Island before spreading to the southern parts of the Korean mainland, including North Jeolla Province and the North and South Gyeongsang provinces, on Thursday. However, the expected precipitation amounts may be too little to effectively suppress the ongoing fires. Uiseong and Cheongsong in North Gyeongsang Province, which have been severely affected, are forecast to receive less than 5 millimeters of rain, while Sancheong in North Gyeongsang Province and Ulju in Ulsan can expect to see 5 and 10 millimeters. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain will start in areas affected by the wildfires early Thursday and will stop quickly after. Though subject to change, the low pressure system bringing rain toward the southern region may also bring strong winds, intensifying the fires. Currently, a high wind advisory has been issued in parts of the regions affected by the wildfires, including North Gyeongsang Province, as they are expected to experience wind gusts exceeding 70 kilometers per hour until Thursday.
