The China Mail - South Korea's new leader vows to 'heal wounds' with nuclear-armed North

USD -
AED 3.672904
AFN 69.503991
ALL 83.658384
AMD 382.620403
ANG 1.789783
AOA 917.000367
ARS 1317.235277
AUD 1.540104
AWG 1.80125
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.685947
BBD 2.013275
BDT 121.554058
BGN 1.668705
BHD 0.376029
BIF 2965
BMD 1
BND 1.288738
BOB 6.907252
BRL 5.422204
BSD 0.999612
BTN 87.418646
BWP 13.441372
BYN 3.366751
BYR 19600
BZD 2.00537
CAD 1.38345
CDF 2866.000362
CHF 0.801819
CLF 0.024489
CLP 960.703912
CNY 7.16775
CNH 7.17073
COP 4012
CRC 504.202405
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 94.450394
CZK 20.923204
DJF 177.720393
DKK 6.36904
DOP 62.650393
DZD 129.503881
EGP 48.361977
ERN 15
ETB 141.765474
EUR 0.853104
FJD 2.261504
FKP 0.739259
GBP 0.739481
GEL 2.69504
GGP 0.739259
GHS 11.000356
GIP 0.739259
GMD 72.503851
GNF 8665.931073
GTQ 7.665121
GYD 209.038209
HKD 7.81515
HNL 26.14951
HRK 6.427704
HTG 130.796086
HUF 337.340388
IDR 16233.5
ILS 3.368604
IMP 0.739259
INR 87.33025
IQD 1309.242625
IRR 42050.000352
ISK 122.380386
JEP 0.739259
JMD 160.241712
JOD 0.70904
JPY 146.96904
KES 129.203801
KGS 87.427404
KHR 4008.361528
KMF 422.503794
KPW 899.882972
KRW 1384.203789
KWD 0.30539
KYD 0.832963
KZT 537.321667
LAK 21661.343781
LBP 89947.374546
LKR 301.674051
LRD 200.418076
LSL 17.635898
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 5.423857
MAD 9.046609
MDL 16.837704
MGA 4426.39979
MKD 53.04898
MMK 2098.955206
MNT 3597.499929
MOP 8.050859
MRU 39.863455
MUR 46.110378
MVR 15.410378
MWK 1733.250005
MXN 18.598504
MYR 4.227504
MZN 63.903729
NAD 17.635898
NGN 1535.370377
NIO 36.78258
NOK 10.05555
NPR 139.867422
NZD 1.704159
OMR 0.383468
PAB 0.999582
PEN 3.509732
PGK 4.224745
PHP 56.499504
PKR 283.58447
PLN 3.63912
PYG 7244.452873
QAR 3.643487
RON 4.310604
RSD 99.996587
RUB 80.326581
RWF 1446.88921
SAR 3.752314
SBD 8.217016
SCR 13.325152
SDG 600.503676
SEK 9.498104
SGD 1.281304
SHP 0.785843
SLE 23.303667
SLL 20969.49797
SOS 571.256169
SRD 38.108504
STD 20697.981008
STN 21.119779
SVC 8.746099
SYP 13000.67778
SZL 17.628019
THB 32.360369
TJS 9.546021
TMT 3.5
TND 2.935021
TOP 2.342104
TRY 41.175038
TTD 6.787638
TWD 30.382304
TZS 2490.000335
UAH 41.313541
UGX 3561.915435
UYU 40.006207
UZS 12408.840922
VES 137.956904
VND 26350
VUV 120.171224
WST 2.714637
XAF 565.443614
XAG 0.02571
XAU 0.000297
XCD 2.70255
XCG 1.80156
XDR 0.702356
XOF 565.446051
XPF 102.805027
YER 240.203589
ZAR 17.449285
ZMK 9001.203584
ZMW 23.114686
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    1.6300

    75.55

    +2.16%

  • CMSD

    0.2400

    23.95

    +1%

  • RIO

    1.3900

    62.69

    +2.22%

  • SCS

    0.4000

    16.5

    +2.42%

  • VOD

    0.0600

    11.92

    +0.5%

  • NGG

    -0.0200

    71.41

    -0.03%

  • CMSC

    0.3000

    23.75

    +1.26%

  • RELX

    0.2500

    48.44

    +0.52%

  • BCC

    6.5500

    91.22

    +7.18%

  • GSK

    0.1100

    40.19

    +0.27%

  • BCE

    -0.2300

    25.49

    -0.9%

  • AZN

    0.5100

    80.97

    +0.63%

  • BTI

    -0.7600

    58.51

    -1.3%

  • RYCEF

    0.1300

    14.29

    +0.91%

  • JRI

    0.1200

    13.45

    +0.89%

  • BP

    0.6900

    34.74

    +1.99%

South Korea's new leader vows to 'heal wounds' with nuclear-armed North
South Korea's new leader vows to 'heal wounds' with nuclear-armed North / Photo: © POOL/AFP

South Korea's new leader vows to 'heal wounds' with nuclear-armed North

South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung vowed to reach out to the nuclear-armed North and "heal wounds" as he took office Wednesday, after winning snap elections triggered by his predecessor's disastrous martial law declaration.

Text size:

South Korea's new centre-left leader also warned that "rising protectionism and supply chain restructuring" posed an existential threat to Asia's export-dependent fourth-largest economy, which has been buffeted by the global trade chaos sparked by US President Donald Trump.

Lee scored a thumping victory over conservative Kim Moon-soo, of disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's former party, in snap elections, with his term beginning immediately after the vote tally was certified early Wednesday.

Lee secured 49.4 percent of the vote, far ahead of the 41.2 percent for Kim -- who conceded, having been hampered by party infighting and a third-party candidate splitting the right-wing vote.

Lee spoke to South Korea's top military commander and formally assumed operational control of the country's armed forces Wednesday, urging them to maintain "readiness" in case of Pyongyang provocations -- but said in his first comments that he was ready to talk.

"We will heal the wounds of division and war and establish a future of peace and prosperity," he said.

"No matter how costly, peace is better than war."

He said the country would "deter North Korean nuclear and military provocations while opening communication channels and pursuing dialogue and cooperation to build peace on the Korean Peninsula".

Lee took office just hours before the United States was set to slap tariffs of 50 percent on South Korea's crucial steel and aluminium exports.

"The rapid changes in the global order such as rising protectionism and supply chain restructuring pose a threat to our very survival," Lee said.

Markets reacted favourably to the election, with the benchmark KOSPI and the won rising Wednesday.

- 'Significant departure' -

Lee's comments on North Korea are a "significant departure" from those of his hawkish predecessor Yoon, as he did not immediately attach preconditions to dialogue with Pyongyang, said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

It signals "his desire to resolve disagreements through talks", Hong told AFP.

"While it remains to be seen how Pyongyang will respond, it is notable that Lee has clearly indicated a different approach to North Korea," he added.

Lee held a modest inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly -- where Yoon deployed armed troops on the night he attempted to suspend civilian rule.

Just a few hundred guests attended, in contrast to the large outdoor events held after regularly scheduled elections, which often attract tens of thousands.

He will later head to the presidential office to begin naming key cabinet members, with the focus on who is tapped to serve as presidential chief of staff, prime minister and director of the National Intelligence Service.

The day is expected to end with a flurry of congratulatory phone calls from world leaders, with Trump likely to be the first on the line.

Washington's alliance with Seoul was "ironclad", the US secretary of state said in a statement, citing "shared values and deep economic ties".

Lee comes to power with his party already holding a parliamentary majority -- secure for the next three years -- meaning he is likely to be able to get his legislative agenda done.

M.Zhou--ThChM