Seoul, June 4 (HS): South Korea has elected Lee Jae-myung as its president for a five-year term, following a by-election prompted by last December's martial law announcement. Leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DPK), Lee secured 49.42 percent of the votes, defeating conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo, who garnered 41.15 percent, and Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok with 8.34 percent. His presidency officially commenced at 6:21 a.m. after the National Election Commission confirmed his victory.

Lee is set to oversee the armed forces and emphasized his dedication to economic revival, democratic stability, and national unity in his inaugural address. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will hand over military command today. Lee plans to visit the Seoul National Cemetery and attend an inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly at 11 a.m. with around 300 attendees, including notable state officials and leaders. He may also have a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump later in the day.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar