After hardline Yoon, South Korea needs a more balanced foreign policy
With South Korea's presidential
election less than two weeks away, the stakes couldn't be higher for a nation at a critical crossroads. Since former president Yoon Suk-yeol's
impeachment for declaring martial law in December, the country desperately needs leadership to restore domestic stability and navigate increasingly complex geopolitics.
Advertisement
Society remains deeply divided, with massive
demonstrations that support or oppose Yoon. The political turmoil extends to the ruling People Power Party (PPP), which has repeatedly
changed its presidential candidate. Recent polling shows opposition Democratic Party candidate
Lee Jae-myung leading with 49 per cent support, well ahead of the PPP's Kim Moon-soo, at 27 per cent.
While Lee's party traditionally leans left, he has shifted noticeably towards the centre for his campaign. Mindful of undecided conservative voters, he has moderated his rhetoric, abandoning many of the progressive stances that defined his presidential bids in 2017 and 2022, when he faced criticism for being too soft on North Korea and too pro-China.
His campaign launch speech omits any mention of North Korea, focuses on domestic priorities and calls for 'proactive and forward-looking pragmatism'. This reflects the delicate balancing act required of South Korean politicians, who must address domestic concerns while preparing for complex foreign policy challenges.
While economic concerns dominate voters' minds – particularly after the won's recent plummet – foreign policy demands equal attention. South Korea's position at the nexus of major power competition makes geopolitical considerations unavoidable. Any president who neglects this risks compromising national security and long-term stability.
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong marks 28th anniversary of handover with citywide celebrations
Hong Kong marked the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 2025. The day's...
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Beijing slams US official, EU body for attack on Hong Kong national security law
Beijing has hit out at a United States official and the European Union's diplomatic wing for attacking Hong Kong's national security legislation , criticising their 'hypocrisy' and 'malicious intention' of containing China by going after the city. Advertisement The statement from China's foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong on Tuesday was in response to remarks by Jim Risch, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the European External Action Service. Risch said that Hong Kong had become 'no different from China' since the Beijing-imposed national security law was enacted five years ago, while the EU body said the legislation had resulted in a continuous erosion of civil liberties in the city. The day after Hong Kong marked the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-decreed national security law's promulgation, a spokesman for the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong expressed its 'strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition' to the US official and EU body's remarks. 'Certain politicians have disregarded their own poor track record on human rights and the rule of law, ignoring the facts of Hong Kong's prosperity, stability and people's well-being,' he said. Advertisement 'Their open interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs has exposed their hypocrisy, double standards and malicious intention to contain China through Hong Kong.' Tuesday also marks the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Beijing sanctions Manila's South China Sea legal claim architect Francis Tolentino
China has sanctioned the former Senate majority leader of the Philippines Francis Tolentino, a key ally of the Southeast Asian country's President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on South China Sea issues. Beijing accused Tolentino of 'egregious conduct on China-related issues' and will bar the former Philippine lawmaker – whose term ended on Monday – from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. 'For some time now, individual anti-China politicians in the Philippines have adopted a series of malicious words and deeds on China-related issues for their own selfish interests, undermining China's interests and damaging China-Philippines relations,' it said, in a statement released on Tuesday. 'The Chinese government's determination to defend its national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering,' it added. Tolentino was a principal author of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, legislation that asserts Manila's claims in the South China Sea and was signed by Marcos in late 2024, and which Beijing has strongly pushed back on. He also led a Senate investigation into alleged Chinese espionage activities within the Philippines.
