Overview

• Lee took office on June 4 after a snap election triggered by the impeachment of his predecessor, pledging to embrace all citizens and end the politics of division.
• He immediately nominated Democrat Kim Min-seok as prime minister and former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok to head the National Intelligence Service.
• The president promised to revive inter-Korean dialogue under a revamped Sunshine Policy even as North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities continue to advance.
• In his inaugural address, Lee outlined a pragmatic diplomacy aimed at bolstering alliances with the United States and Japan while seeking balanced relations with China and Russia.
• Confronting slowing growth and US steel and aluminum tariffs, his administration plans targeted fiscal stimulus and reforms to tackle inequality and narrow regional disparities.