South Korea's New Leader Lee Jae-myung: Bridging Divides and Pursuing Peace

South Korea's new President, Lee Jae-myung, has launched his term with a pledge to resume talks with North Korea and fortify alliances with the US and Japan. Lee, a prominent liberal, rose from poverty to leadership, emphasizing a fight against inequality and corruption.

In his National Assembly speech, Lee emphasized confronting North Korean nuclear threats with strong US alliance deterrence while seeking peace through dialogue. Highlighting pragmatic diplomacy, he stressed enhancing trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo.

Key obstacles await Lee, including US tariffs and North Korea's ties with Russia. In response, Lee has initiated moves to address economic woes, called for unity to heal political divides, and plans to advance social and economic equality across South Korea.

(With inputs from agencies.)