South Korea’s new president says North poses threats but door open for talks
NBCMAR 6 2022
Yoon Suk-yeol took office on Tues. as South Korea's new president. The conservative leader won by a razor-thin margin over his liberal opponent Lee Jae-myung.
He promised in his inaugural speech to address the country's economic and social crisis by promoting "liberal democracy" and "science, technology and innovation."
The former prosecutor also said that his government was ready for an "audacious plan" to bolster the North Korean economy should the DPRK undergo "complete denuclearization."
Yoon Suk-yeol is a divisive populist with dangerous similarities to Donald Trump. Like Trump, he's a political novice who favors divisive rhetoric instead of offering solutions to people's real problems. This doesn't bode well for the future of South Korea's domestic and foreign policy.
This is good news for freedom and democracy. South Korea will strengthen its role as a reliable partner for a values-based and liberal order alongside the US, even if Pres. Yoon Suk-yeol will have to adapt to changing geopolitical realities.