South Korea’s New Leader Is Facing an Old Problem
North Korea’s expanding ties with Russia are creating more risk on the peninsula, and the US is adding to the uncertainty.
South Korea’s new leader is facing an old problem.
Photographer: Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images
South Korea’s new president has only been in the job a few days, but he already risks repeating past mistakes. The moment calls for a rethink in the US ally’s defense posture.
It’s unclear if Lee Jae-myung is up to the task — or whether he will cling to failed strategies to deal with nuclear-armed North Korea. The left-leaning leader secured victory on Tuesday, and healing a divided nation will be his top priority. The country is still reeling from the fallout of a brief period of martial law imposed by his predecessor, the now-impeached Yoon Suk Yeol.