New S. Korea Leader Plans to Shake Up Foreign Relations

Conservative candidate Yoon Seok-yeol is South Korea's president-elect after an election that had some parallels to the US presidential election in 2016: A populist candidate new to politics narrowly defeated a liberal ruling party candidate—and both candidates were widely unpopular during a bitter campaign. With more than 99% of the vote counted, Yoon, of the People Power Party, had 48.6% to 47.8% for Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, making it the closest presidential election in South Korean history, the AP reports. More:

• What this means for North Korea. Yoon has promised a "reset" of relations with China and North Korea and is expected to take a harder line against Pyongyang while strengthening ties with the US. "Peace is meaningless unless it is backed by power," he said during the campaign. Analysts tell ABC that Yoon is likely to demand denuclearization before talks can take place and plans to step up joint military exercises with the US.

• A shift toward the US. The Sydney Morning Herald, which calls Yoon East Asia's "first populist president," reports that Yoon plans to swing toward the US-led security network aimed at countering China's massive influence in the region. Yoon’s party has close links to the ruling conservative party in Japan and both sides hope to repair relations between the countries.
• The campaign. The bitter battle between Lee and Yoon deepened the country's division and led to speculation that the losing candidate might end up in prison over scandals their opponent had linked them to, the AP reports. "I did my best but wasn’t able to live up to expectations," Lee said after hiss defeat. "I congratulate candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. I sincerely ask the president-elect to overcome division and conflicts and open a new era of unity and harmony." Turnout was high, at 77%, but both candidates were so unpopular that it was described as an election of the "unfavorables."

• Yoon's background. Yoon, who will take office in May for a five-year term, has been widely compared to Donald Trump, but his pre-presidency career could hardly be more different. The 61-year-old spent decades as a prosecutor and helped convict former president Park Geun-hye, a member of his own party, the New York Times reports. Yoon also pursued charges against the head of Samsung and another former president.
• Ministry of gender equality to be banned. Gender equality was a major campaign issue, along with soaring house prices and youth unemployment, the BBC reports. Yoon, who had strong support among young men, pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which spends most of its budget on family-based services, with less than 3% going to the promotion of gender equality.

(More South Korea stories.)