South Korea’s new president vows to restart talks with North Korea

South Korea’s caller President Lee Jae-myung has promised to recommence talks pinch North Korea pinch nan purpose of securing bid connected nan Korean Peninsula.

Lee, who was sworn successful early connected Wednesday pursuing his triumph successful Tuesday's threat election, made nan remark while outlining cardinal argumentation goals for his five-year term.

In his inaugural reside to nan country's National Assembly, Lee pledged to woody pinch North Korean atomic and different subject threats pinch “strong deterrence”, bolstered by nan South Korea-US subject alliance. 

However, he besides said he would restart talks pinch Pyongyang, vowing to “open a connection transmission pinch North Korea and found bid connected nan Korean Peninsula done talks and cooperation”.

How this will beryllium received remains unclear, arsenic Pyongyang has rejected talks pinch Seoul since 2019.

Although critics of nan wide leader person antecedently accused him of looking towards China and North Korea and distant from nan US and Japan, Lee stressed that he wanted to summation practice betwixt Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

"Through pragmatic diplomacy based connected nationalist interests, we will move nan situation posed by nan awesome displacement successful world economical and information landscapes into an opportunity to maximise our nationalist interests,” Lee said.

Dr Edward Howell, Korea Foundation Fellow astatine Chatham House’s Asia-Pacific Programme, told Euronews that while Pyongyang will for illustration Lee to his blimpish rival, it has shown small liking successful speech pinch Seoul successful caller years.

“Lee’s position connected North Korea has been well-known, and past left-leaning governments person preferred policies of engagement and speech pinch North Korea complete those involving sanctions," Howell said.

"Lee’s argumentation towards North Korea marks a important displacement from that of Yoon Suk Yeol, and whilst North Korea will beryllium pleased pinch a triumph by Lee complete his blimpish rival, Pyongyang has not shown — if immoderate — volition to prosecute successful talks pinch Seoul complete nan past 4 years," he added.

Howell, who is besides a teacher successful International Relations astatine nan University of Oxford, said that moreover if talks are held, they whitethorn beryllium little and without impact.

“There is simply a consequence that North Korea will simply garbage to prosecute successful speech pinch nan South contempt immoderate overtures from nan South," he said.

"The mobility remains arsenic to whether immoderate specified speech betwixt Lee and Kim Jong Un will person tangible effects connected North Korea’s denuclearisation and quality authorities violations. The Moon Jae-in authorities demonstrated intelligibly really immoderate specified speech was short-lived.”

Lee's authorities faces galore challenges, including a slowing home economy, US tariff hike and a volatile world context.

The caller South Korean leader has many times emphasised Seoul’s confederation pinch Washington arsenic nan cornerstone of its overseas policy.

Congratulating Lee connected his election, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he wants to clasp acme talks pinch Lee “as early arsenic possible” to further beforehand bilateral ties, while nan US State Department said that Seoul and Washington stock “an ironclad commitment” to nan confederation based connected their “mutual defence treaty, shared values, and heavy economical ties”.

South Korea, nan US and their friends are concerned astir Pyongyang's adjacent ties pinch Russia.

They fearfulness that Russia, successful speech for nan troops and weapons North Korea has sent to thief pinch its warfare against Ukraine, could springiness Pyongyang nan exertion needed to create its atomic weapons programme.

As for home affairs, nan caller president, who won 49.3% of nan votes formed successful Tuesday's election against nan main blimpish contender Kim Moon-soo's 41.3%, pledged to costs a “head-on battle” against nan threats of recession successful nan state and to boost authorities spending.

Tuesday's threat predetermination was triggered successful April by nan removal of erstwhile blimpish President Yoon Suk-yeol, pursuing his grounded effort to enforce martial rule successful December.

Addressing nan law situation that led to his presidency, Lee promised an in-depth investigation into Yoon’s imposition of martial law, while calling for nan state to travel together and heal its divisions.