South Korea’s bishops welcome election of new president following martial law crisis
June 05, 2025
Six months after the South Korean martial law crisis shook the East Asian nation, voters elected opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as the country’s new president.
“Our people saw the roots of the Constitution shaken in the context of martial law and deeply felt the importance of the proper exercise of state power during the process of arresting and removing the president,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea stated in its message of congratulations to the new president. “At this time, we need reliable leadership who will uphold principles and walk the path of justice and true peace even amidst conflict and clashes.”
“Please examine the situation so that the South and the North can be reconciled, so that peace can be established on the Korean peninsula, and so that we can respond to the global situation with united forces,” the bishops added.
Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, OCD of Seoul, the nation’s capital, added:
President Lee Jae-myung, elected by the will of the people, will now stand by all, not just one side, and I believe that he will unite scattered hearts and demonstrate worthy leadership for all the people. Especially in these days when political conflicts and social tensions are increasing, I sincerely hope that the President will, above all, set an example of moderation and listening.
In its analysis of the election, the Vatican newspaper concluded that the nation is
considered to be at the forefront but surrounded by strategic threats. At stake is the very future of South Korean democracy: whether it can overcome this moment of crisis or whether violence and division become the new political normal. Because when a prominent candidate like Lee needed a bulletproof vest to campaign, something went wrong.
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Further information:
- Newly elected President Lee Jae-myung officially begins his mandate (Fides)
- La Corea del Sud riparte da Lee Jae-myung (L’Osservatore Romano)
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