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New South Korean President Lee faces crucial challenges at home and abroad

Update New South Korean President Lee faces crucial challenges at home and abroad
South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung rose from childhood poverty to become South Korea’s leading liberal politician vowing to fight inequality and corruption. (Reuters)
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Updated 04 June 2025

New South Korean President Lee faces crucial challenges at home and abroad

New South Korean President Lee faces crucial challenges at home and abroad
  • Lee Jae-myung’s government to deal with North Korean nuclear threats and its potential military aggressions with ‘strong deterrence’
  • But he would ‘open a communication channel with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula through talks and cooperation’

SEOUL: Winning a tense election that capped off months of political turmoil, new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung described his victory as the start of the country’s return to normalcy following the crisis sparked by then-conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law in December.

But the outspoken liberal, who assumed office immediately on Wednesday without a transition period, takes the helm during a highly challenging time for the country, which has struggled mightily to revive a faltering economy battered by months of political paralysis and compounded by US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes.

Lee also inherits from Yoon the escalating threat of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, now further complicated by Pyongyang’s deepening alignment with Moscow over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Here’s a look at the key challenges facing Lee’s government:

Addressing a slow economy and Trump’s tariffs

In his inauguration speech, Lee identified the economy as his top priority, vowing to immediately launch an emergency task force to wage a “head-on battle” against the looming threat of recession and to boost government spending to jumpstart economic activity.

South Korean economic institutions have repeatedly sounded the alarm in recent months over the state of the economy, citing sluggish business investment, weak consumer spending, a deteriorating job market and a trade environment worsened by Trump’s tariffs and other America-first policies.

Despite the country’s strikingly high household debt, the central bank last week lowered borrowing costs in a desperate bid to inject more money into the economy and slashed its 2025 growth forecast to 0.8 percent, which would be the weakest since a 0.7 percent contraction during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

Lee won’t have much time to negotiate with Washington before July 9, when Trump’s 90-day pause in global reciprocal tariffs is set to expire, potentially exposing South Korean products to 25 percent tax rates.

Although a US federal court recently ruled that Trump lacks authority to impose his planned tariffs, the White House has appealed, leaving the outcome uncertain. Trump has also pushed for product-specific tariffs on key sectors like autos and semiconductors, which make up a major share of South Korean exports. Trump could also seek a broader deal requiring Seoul to pay significantly more for the 28,000 US troops stationed in South Korea to deter North Korean threats.

While Seoul’s previous government had aimed to reach a “package” deal with Trump by early July, Lee has preached patience on tariffs, saying it would be against national interests to obsess with an early agreement.

Navigating North Korea’s nuclear threat

In his inaugural address, Lee promised to reopen a communication channel with North Korea to ease tensions. But prospects for the early resumption of dialogue between the rival Koreas are dim, as North Korea has been constantly rejecting dialogue offers by South Korea and the US since 2019, when talks between Washington and Pyongyang collapsed over disagreements on economic sanctions.

North Korea’s priority in foreign policy is now firmly Russia, which has received thousands of North Korean troops and large amounts of military equipment in recent months for its warfighting in Ukraine.

During campaigning, Lee acknowledged that it would be “very difficult” to arrange a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un anytime soon, though it’s something he will seek. Lee said he would support Trump’s efforts to restart nuclear diplomacy with Kim, saying that improved ties between Pyongyang and Washington could allow aid projects for the impoverished North that will likely require South Korean support.

Lee nominated former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, a dove who espouses reconciliation with North Korea, as his spy chief. The nomination likely reflects Lee Jae-myung’s hopes to revive inter-Korean dialogue, given the behind-the-scene roles of the National Intelligence Service played to reach out to Pyongyang under the past liberal governments.

However, many experts also note that Lee Jae-myung does not share the same level of Korean nationalist zeal as his liberal predecessors, and they question how firmly he would stick to his appeasement approach if provocative actions by North Korea, such as high-profile missile tests or border incursions, undermine public support for his policy at home.

Committing to US alliance and pragmatic diplomacy

Lee was previously accused by his critics of tilting toward Pyongyang and Beijing and away from Washington and Tokyo. He once slammed a US missile defense system in South Korea as a source of tensions and likened strengthening US-Japan ties to a 1905 Washington-Tokyo agreement that he said eventually helped Japan colonize the Korean Peninsula.

But Lee has recently refrained from making similar contentious comments, instead repeatedly pledging to pursue pragmatic diplomacy. He has vowed to enhance South Korea’s alliance with the US and their trilateral cooperation with Japan, while also emphasizing the need to reduce tensions with North Korea and avoid frictions with China and Russia.

While Lee may eventually take steps to improve ties with North Korea and China — relations that deteriorated under Yoon, who prioritized the US and Japan — experts say Lee is unlikely to take drastic actions that might undermine the alliance with Washington or negatively impact South Korea’s financial markets.

Lee has stated that he will address thorny historical disputes with Japan separately from matters of security, trade, and other issues. However, many experts believe he is unlikely to completely reverse the progress made in Seoul-

Tokyo relations in recent years. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that he hopes to hold summit talks with Lee “as early as possible” and expressed a desire to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Cleaning the mess at home

Long accused by critics of being a divisive populist, Lee pledged unity throughout his campaign, vowing not to target conservatives and calling for an end to South Korea’s deep political polarization and a return to dialogue and compromise.

However, he has also pledged a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Yoon’s martial law stunt — a saga that could continue to overshadow Lee’s presidency and spark tensions with conservatives, especially as the ousted conservative faces a high-stakes criminal trial on rebellion charges punishable by death or life imprisonment.

While Yoon defended his martial law decree as a necessary response to what he called the Democratic Party’s abuse of its legislative majority to obstruct his agenda, that same majority now gives Lee a far more favorable environment to advance his policies. Conservatives have voiced concern that this could give Lee partially unchecked power and enable him to advance legislation that shields his presidency from his own legal troubles.

Lee faces five separate trials on corruption and other charges, but the hearings were suspended ahead of Tuesday’s election. While South Korea’s constitution shields sitting presidents from most criminal prosecution aside of rebellion or treason, it doesn’t clearly state whether this protection extends to preelection indictments. The Democrats have been pushing to revise the criminal procedure law to keep Lee’s trials suspended during his term, drawing criticism from conservatives.


Cuban students call boycott over mobile tariff hikes

Cuban students call boycott over mobile tariff hikes
Updated 21 sec ago

Cuban students call boycott over mobile tariff hikes

Cuban students call boycott over mobile tariff hikes
  • Student leaders at the University of Havana’s mathematics and informatics faculty called for a boycott of classes in order to try to force state telecoms company to annul the tariff hikes
  • The average monthly salary on the communist island is 5,700 pesos, or $47. Data top-up would cost 3,000 pesos, or $25

HAVANA: Cuban students called for a boycott of classes Wednesday over new mobile Internet tariffs that include steep fees for those who exceed their monthly data limits.
Cubans say the tariff hikes implemented by state telecoms company Etecsa on May 30 will leave them with only a few gigabytes of data per month as purchasing additional data will be prohibitively expensive.
Students have been particularly angered by the new pricing system, under which top-ups must be paid in hard-to-come-by-dollars or at a steep increment in Cuban pesos.
While acknowledging “progress” in negotiations with Etecsa, student union president Jose Almedia told AFP: “We want more.”
On Tuesday evening, student leaders at the University of Havana’s mathematics and informatics faculty called for a boycott of classes in order to try to force Etecsa to annul the tariff hikes.
Fellow leaders of the union chapter in the philosophy, history and sociology faculty backed the boycott, as did some students from the arts department.
It was not immediately clear how many students heeded the call for the protest.
But an arts student who attended classes on Wednesday told AFP there were “practically no students” in the faculty.
New pricing structure
Etecsa gave no forewarning of its new pricing structure, which it said was necessary to fund investment in infrastructure.
Rafael Gomez, an 18-year-old student at the University of Havana, said the new tariffs left mobile users with the bare minimum in terms of data.
“We were used to a certain system,” where customers can top up their credit as often as they like, he told AFP.
Now, they are limited to 6GB of data, which Gomez noted “is nothing and if you want to buy more, it costs over 3,000 pesos ($25), which you cannot afford on a regular Cuban salary,” Gomez said.
The average monthly salary on the communist island is 5,700 pesos, or $47.
Faced with the outcry from students, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Sunday that the government was looking at “options” for “the most vulnerable sectors, including our dear students.”
After talks with student bodies Etecsa on Monday announced that students would be allowed two monthly top-ups at 360 pesos ($3), compared with one for the rest of the population.
Further top-ups have to be paid in dollars or at the eye-watering price of over 3,000 pesos.
The concessions failed to assuage the anger of many students.
Brian Gamez, a history student, told AFP he favored “peaceful protests” but was afraid that a mobilization could lead to vandalism.
The Cuban government has been wary of stoking popular discontent since July 2021 when thousands of people took to the streets in a rare show of defiance to demonstrate over shortages of fuel, food, medicine and electricity.
One person was killed and dozens injured in the protests, which Havana accused Washington of orchestrating.


Trump administration plans $1,000 fee to fast-track tourist visas -memo

Trump administration plans $1,000 fee to fast-track tourist visas -memo
Updated 35 min 58 sec ago

Trump administration plans $1,000 fee to fast-track tourist visas -memo

Trump administration plans $1,000 fee to fast-track tourist visas -memo
  • The new $1,000 option the US is considering would be a premium service
  • The program could arrive in pilot form as soon as December

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is considering a $1,000 fee for tourists and other non-immigrant visa applicants seeking an expedited interview appointment though government lawyers have raised legal red flags over the plan, according to a US official and an internal State Department memo.

Individuals entering the US on tourist and other non-immigrant visas already pay a $185 processing fee. The new $1,000 option the US is considering would be a premium service that allows some people to jump to the front of the line for visa interviews.

The program could arrive in pilot form as soon as December, the memo reviewed by Reuters said.

The proposed fee for visa appointments, which has not been previously reported, comes alongside President Donald Trump’s vision of a “gold card” that would sell US citizenship for $5 million, granting faster access to those willing to pay.

But the State Department’s legal team said there was a “high risk” it would be rejected by the White House budget office or struck down in US courts, the memo said. Setting a fee above the cost to provide the service “is contrary to settled Supreme Court precedent,” the memo said.

A State Department spokesperson said the department does not comment on internal documents and communications.

“The department’s scheduling of non-immigrant visa interview appointments is dynamic and we are continually working to improve our operations worldwide,” the spokesperson said.

Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has aggressively cracked down on immigration, including revoking some student visas and increasing scrutiny of all visa applicants.

The State Department issued 10.4 million non-immigrant visas in fiscal year 2023, including 5.9 million tourist visas, according to the agency’s most recent annual report. International travel spending in the United States is expected to decline about 7 percent in 2025 as opposition to Trump’s policies and a strong dollar prompt foreign visitors to opt for other destinations, the World Travel and Tourism Council said in May.


Growing numbers of people worldwide unhappy with Israeli state and Netanyahu, survey finds

Growing numbers of people worldwide unhappy with Israeli state and Netanyahu, survey finds
Updated 04 June 2025

Growing numbers of people worldwide unhappy with Israeli state and Netanyahu, survey finds

Growing numbers of people worldwide unhappy with Israeli state and Netanyahu, survey finds
  • Poll of 32,000 people in 24 countries finds numbers holding unfavorable views on Israel have risen significantly in many places, including the US and UK
  • ‘Majorities across all 24 countries show a lack of confidence that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will “do the right thing,”’ researcher says

CHICAGO: The results of a survey published this week by the Pew Research Center in Washington reveal a significant increase in the proportions of people in the US, UK and other nations, mostly in the West, who hold unfavorable views on the Israeli state and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Researchers polled 32,000 people in 24 countries. Previous surveys had been carried out in 11 of them, 13 were being surveyed for the first time. Maria Smerkovich, a research associate with Pew, told Arab News on Wednesday that the results showed conclusively that public attitudes toward Israel and the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, were increasingly negative, especially in America, traditionally one of the strongest advocates for Israel, and in the UK.

“The median is 62 percent have unfavorable views of the country of Israel, compared with a 29 percent median that have favorable views,” she said of the overall results.

“In about 20 of these countries, half of the population or more have unfavorable views of the country. We find that younger people and people on the left are more likely to have negative views of the country.

“In the US, views on Israel have turned more negative. The last time we asked about the favorability of Israel in the US was in 2022, before the current war (in Gaza). And at that time, a slight majority had favorable views of Israel. A smaller share had unfavorable views of Israel.

“Now (since the start of the conflict in Gaza) we’ve seen the tide turn, where just over half have unfavorable views of Israel and 45 percent have favorable views. So that’s a leap in terms of unfavorability; it’s a jump from 42 percent to 53 percent in just three years.”

She continued: “In about 10 other countries, the last time we asked about favorability of Israel was in 2013. And we have seen, in most of the countries, we have seen views turn more negative. For example in the UK in 2013, unfavorability was at 44 percent. Today, it’s at 61 percent. So that’s quite a jump.

“Israel’s unfavorability has increased in seven countries of the 10 where we have trends,” she said adding that the proportions of unfavorable views had remained “about the same since 2013” in France, Germany and Greece.

In addition to the “striking” increase in unfavorable views in the UK, Smerkovich said: “In Indonesia, it’s gone up from 71 percent to 80 percent. In Turkey, from 85 percent to 93 percent. In Nigeria, 25 percent to 32 percent.”

In the other 13 countries with no previous survey results, majorities also held strongly unfavorable views of both Israel and Netanyahu.

The survey reveals “majorities across all 24 countries show a lack of confidence that Netanyahu will ‘do the right thing,’” Smerkovich said.

Many people the US “have no confidence in Netanyahu,” she added, and there “has been an increase in the share that say they have no confidence in him … about a 10 percent jump, whereas the share that say they do have confidence in him has stayed fairly stable.”

This pattern is repeated in other countries, she said, where “we have seen an increase in no confidence in Netanyahu. But the share that say they do have confidence in him hasn’t really changed much in the US.”

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan “fact tank” that says it aims to inform the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts opinion polls, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research and does not adopt any positions on policies.


Prestigious Irish university to cut links with Israel over Gaza war

Prestigious Irish university to cut links with Israel over Gaza war
Updated 04 June 2025

Prestigious Irish university to cut links with Israel over Gaza war

Prestigious Irish university to cut links with Israel over Gaza war
  • Trinity College Dublin will sever institutional links with the Israeli state, universities and companies headquartered there
  • University said the action was a protest against 'violations of international and humanitarian law'

DUBLIN: Ireland’s prestigious Trinity College Dublin said on Wednesday that it would cut all links with Israel in protest at “ongoing violations of international and humanitarian law.”
The university’s board informed students by email that it had accepted the recommendations of a taskforce to sever “institutional links with the State of Israel, Israeli universities and companies headquartered in Israel.”
The recommendations would be “enacted for the duration of the ongoing violations of international and humanitarian law,” said the email sent by the board’s chairman Paul Farrell, and seen by AFP.
The taskforce was set up after part of the university’s campus in central Dublin was blockaded by students for five days last year in protest at Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Among the taskforce’s recommendations approved by the board were pledges to divest “from all companies headquartered in Israel” and to “enter into no future supply contracts with Israeli firms” and “no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities.”
The university also said that it would “enter into no further mobility agreements with Israeli universities.”
Trinity has two current Erasmus+ exchange agreements with Israeli universities: Bar Ilan University, an agreement that ends in July 2026, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which ends in July 2025, the university told AFP in an email.
The board also said that the university “should not submit for approval or agree to participate in any new institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation.”
It “should seek to align itself with like-minded universities and bodies in an effort to influence EU policy concerning Israel’s participation in such collaborations,” it added.
Ireland has been among the most outspoken critics of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel by Hamas militants that sparked the war in Gaza.
Polls since the start of the war have shown overwhelming pro-Palestinian sympathy in Ireland.
In May 2024, Dublin joined several other European countries in recognizing Palestine as a “sovereign and independent state.”
It then joined South Africa in bringing a case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza — charges angrily denied by Israeli leaders.
In December, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar ordered the closure of the country’s embassy in Dublin, blaming Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies.”
The University of Geneva also announced Wednesday that it has ended its partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem following student protests, saying it no longer reflected the institution’s “strategic priorities.”


Moscow security chief discusses Ukraine with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

Moscow security chief discusses Ukraine with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
Updated 04 June 2025

Moscow security chief discusses Ukraine with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

Moscow security chief discusses Ukraine with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
  • “Sergei Shoigu was received by the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un,” the embassy said
  • It said talks took place “in an atmosphere of friendly mutual understanding“

MOSCOW: Russia’s security chief Sergei Shoigu discussed the Ukraine conflict with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un on a visit to Pyongyang on Wednesday, Moscow’s embassy in the reclusive state said.

North Korea has become one of Russia’s main allies during Moscow’s more than three-year-long Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from its Kursk border region.

Pyongyang is also largely believed to be arming Russia.

“Sergei Shoigu was received by the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un,” the embassy said, adding that they “exchanged views on the situation around the Ukrainian crisis and the Korean peninsula.”

It said talks took place “in an atmosphere of friendly mutual understanding.”

Shoigu also met with North Korean military official Pak Jong-chon, the embassy said.

Russia’s TASS news agency said earlier that Shoigu had arrived on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wednesday’s visit is Shoigu’s second to Pyongyang in less than three months.

Pyongyang has defended its military cooperation with Russia, saying on Monday that ties were aimed at “ensuring peace and stability” in Europe and Asia.

Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, according to South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun, citing the country’s intelligence service.

Russia and North Korea signed a sweeping military deal last year, including a mutual defense clause, during a rare visit by Putin to the nuclear-armed North.

Shoigu hailed the deal as “fully meeting the interests of both countries” during a visit in March.