Last week, South Koreans chose Yoon Suk-yeol from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) as their next president in the closest election since the restoration of democracy in 1987. A former prosecutor-general who catapulted into the political arena only a year ago, Yoon carried the election against Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) with a razor-thin margin of 247,000 votes. While Yoon faces enormous challenges at home and abroad, he is also a political maverick unbeholden to political bosses and factions as well as interest groups.
His victory was an earthquake not only because it was a verdict on outgoing President Moon Jae-in and his party’s candidate but also because Yoon is likely to shatter many long-established traditions. Korean presidents serve a single five-year term, and since 1987, changes between the right and the left have occurred after the end of two presidencies. This time, however, Moon’s party failed to regain the presidency. And despite a sharply negative and bruising campaign, as soon as the tallies showed that Yoon was going to win, Lee conceded immediately. Korean democracy survived another key litmus test and is stronger because of it.
Yoon can also use his unexpected presidency to correct Korea’s endemic cycle of retribution politics, transform decisionmaking processes with greater transparency, and devolve power to the cabinet and other important agencies, including key intelligence organizations. Pundits are saying that Yoon faces very steep challenges and must traverse key obstacles. There are those who say that the temptation to unleash presidential power to go after his adversaries is…