If you haven't been glued to the news in Seoul lately, you might be in for a shock. Honestly, the South Korean political landscape has moved so fast over the last year that even seasoned diplomats are still catching their breath. So, to answer the burning question: Lee Jae-myung is the current president in Korea.
He didn't get there the "normal" way, though. He was sworn in on June 4, 2025, following a snap election that felt more like a movie script than a standard democratic process.
The chaos that led to President Lee Jae-myung
You've probably heard snippets about the "Martial Law Crisis" of December 2024. It was a mess. The former president, Yoon Suk-yeol, made a desperate and ill-fated attempt to declare martial law, accusing the opposition—which Lee Jae-myung led at the time—of paralyzing the government. It backfired spectacularly.
Parliament didn't just sit there; they jumped over fences (literally, in some cases) to vote the declaration down. By April 2025, Yoon was officially impeached and removed from office. Just a few days ago, on January 16, 2026, a court actually sentenced Yoon to five years in prison for his role in that whole debacle. It's a huge deal. South Korea doesn't mess around when it comes to holding its leaders accountable.
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Lee Jae-myung, representing the progressive Democratic Party, won the subsequent early election with roughly 49.4% of the vote. Since he took over, the vibe in Seoul has shifted from "constant gridlock" to "pragmatic, high-speed reform," though not everyone is a fan.
Who is the president in Korea and why is he so controversial?
Lee is a complicated guy. He’s a former human rights lawyer and the ex-governor of Gyeonggi Province. Supporters love him because he’s a "bulldozer"—he gets things done and doesn't care whose toes he steps on. Critics? Well, they’ve spent years pointing at various scandals and legal battles from his time as mayor of Seongnam.
But as of January 2026, he’s the one at the helm.
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A massive shift in foreign policy
Lee has basically turned the previous administration's foreign policy upside down. While Yoon Suk-yeol was all about building a tight, almost exclusive circle with Washington and Tokyo, Lee is playing a much more delicate game. He calls it "pragmatic diplomacy."
Basically, he’s trying to keep the U.S. alliance strong while making sure China doesn't get annoyed. It’s a tightrope walk. Just this month, he wrapped up a summit in Beijing and then hopped over to Japan to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Seeing a progressive Korean president and a conservative Japanese leader getting along—they even played the drums together to K-Pop—was not on anyone's 2026 bingo card.
Life under the Lee administration: The 2026 outlook
If you're living in Korea or looking to do business there, you'll notice a huge push toward technology. Lee is obsessed with making Korea a top-three global power in Artificial Intelligence. He launched the "AI for All" policy, which is basically a massive government-funded project to build a sovereign AI ecosystem.
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He’s also moved the presidential residence back to Cheong Wa Dae (The Blue House). Yoon had moved it to a defense ministry building in Yongsan, which was super controversial and expensive. Lee’s move back was a symbolic "return to normalcy," though his critics say it’s just a PR stunt to distance himself from the chaos of the previous year.
Major 2026 milestones for President Lee:
- January 2026: Secured a massive currency swap deal with China.
- Defense Budget: He just unveiled a record 728 trillion won budget for 2026, with a massive focus on "self-reliant defense."
- Social Reform: He's currently cracking down on what he calls "heretical religious organizations" like the Shincheonji Church, which has sparked a whole new round of protests.
The road ahead
The big test for Lee comes in June 2026 during the local elections. This will be the first time voters get to say whether they actually like his "bulldozer" style of governing or if they think he's pushing the country too far to the left.
Also, the situation with North Korea remains... tense. Lee is trying to restart talks, but with Pyongyang being so cozy with Russia lately, it's a tough sell. He’s balancing this by asking the U.S. (specifically President Trump) for permission to build nuclear-powered submarines. It’s a wild time to be watching Korean politics.
What you should do next:
If you're following the Korean market or planning a trip, keep a close eye on the June 2026 local elections. They will determine if Lee has the legislative support to finish his term or if the country will fall back into the gridlock that defined the early 2020s. You should also monitor news regarding the Yoon Suk-yeol insurrection trial set for February 19, 2026; the verdict could trigger significant street protests depending on the severity of the sentence.