The June 3 victory of Democratic Party of Korea (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung provides South Korea with an opportunity to turn the page on six months of political dysfunction.
At its core, the election was a referendum on former President Yoon Suk Yeol as well as the People Power Party (PPP), a segment of which tried to justify Yoon’s failed attempt at martial law last December.
While foreign policy issues played only a small role during the snap election, the emergence of a new South Korean government has the potential to impact the U.S.-South Korea alliance in a number of ways. Although the alliance will certainly remain intact, Washington and Seoul won’t be as in-synch as they were during Yoon’s tenure.
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Events on Asia
