The debilitating political vacuum that has reigned in Seoul since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment on December 14 has finally ended. On June 3, Lee Jae-myung won South Korea’s presidential election by a decisive margin.

Lee faces the most daunting set of challenges for a South Korean leader in nearly three decades, ranging from healing a country scarred by the martial law attempt to tackling unpredictable U.S. protectionist moves.

Just hours after winning the South Korean presidency, Lee Jae-myung pledged to "unite the people" in his inauguration speech on Wednesday. Lee enters office at a time when the country is still grappling with deep divisions, which were further triggered after President Yoon Suk Yeol's shock martial law declaration last December.