Yoon replaces Moon: Yoon Suk-yeol elected President of South Korea, a positive sign for India?
Yoon is said to be inclined to Korea's New Southern Policy while the past President Moon Jae-in propagated Northern Policy, which is more prone to China and North Korea.
NEW DELHI/SEOUL: In a nail biting finish, Yoon Suk-yeol – a political novice and former chief prosecutor from the conservative People Power Party defeated his close rival with a thin margin to emerge as the President of the Republic of Korea for the next five-year term.
He defeated Lee Jae-myung of the incumbent Democratic Party as the counting of votes continued till the wee hours of Thursday, according to South Korea’s National Election Commission. The past President Moon Jae-in also represented the governing Democratic Party but not allowed to contest polls as the constitution of the country doesn’t allow re-election of the incumbent president.
A novice to the politics, Yoon Suk-yeol is a former chief prosecutor and candidate for the opposition People Power Party. His candidacy has been fueled by the need for an opposition-party rebrand following the 2017 impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, as well as by his objection as chief prosecutor to perceived overreach, hypocrisy, and self-dealing in prosecution reform efforts by Moon’s administration.
Yoon has controversially pledged to investigate Moon administration excesses if elected. But his political amateurism and inability to control political disputes within his party have weakened his candidacy.
According to experts, the victory of the conservative People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is a favourable development for India, and tilts in its side when it comes to Asia-pacific geo-politics. .
Yoon is said to be inclined to Korea’s New Southern Policy while the past President Moon Jae-in propagated Northern Policy, which is more prone to China and North Korea
ACN
