Conservative Yoon Suk-yeol Won South Korea Presidential Elections

By: Ahmed Fathi

A surge of anger over economic policy, scandals, and gender conflicts propelled conservative opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol to victory in a close presidential race in South Korea, Asia's fourth largest economy. After the impeachment and ousting of then-President Park Geun-hye in 2017, the People Power Party reassembled and won his election on Wednesday.

Yoon was appointed by outgoing President Moon Jae-in, Yoon gained reputation for probes of key presidential advisors and became entangled in the Park issue.

While he promised a reset with China and North Korea firing record numbers of missiles, Yoon has committed to end corruption, promote justice, and level the playing field. ...

Yoon is face with the challenge that he must unite a nation of 52 million people divided by gender, generational, and economic disparities, as well as rising inequality, he has pledged to strengthen ties with the US, South Korea's only treaty ally, despite rising North Korean missile activity and competition from China, the South's largest commercial partner.

The White House said Yoon and Biden spoke by phone on Thursday and said President Joe Biden looked forward to working closely with Yoon to strengthen the partnership.

According to the Center for a New American Security, "We can expect the alliance to run more smoothly and be in sync for the most part on North Korea, China, and regional and global issues,"