Less than a month after he took office as president of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung is causing an uproar among several experts on the longtime U.S. ally that borders Communist North Korea.
In interviews with Newsmax, all voiced concern over what they say are Lee's sympathies for North Korea and his distaste for America.
The country held a snap presidential election on June 3 following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The impeachment came earlier this year after Yoon declared martial law — the first time a South Korean president has done so since strongman President Chun Doo-Hwan in 1980.
Lee has a controversial history — including criminal charges for corruption and violating election laws. These charges, in fact, that nearly stopped his candidacy for president.
He has also been criticized for polarizing statements about conservative opponents, including telling rally attendees in 2016 to "seize her [then President Park Geun-hye] and consign her to history."
This criticism has extended to U.S. missile programs in South Korea.
Although Lee promised in his inaugural address to bolster relationships with the United States and Japan as well as practicing "strong deterrence" with North Korea, many observers are not convinced.
"He doesn't want better relations with America or Japan," Gordon Chang, an analyst and author of "Losing South Korea," told Newsmax.
"If it was up to him, we [the U.S.] wouldn't be in the region," said Chang.
"Everybody knows he's [going to be] a dictator," said veteran Seoul journalist and White House correspondent Jennifer Pak, "The U.S. should be concerned that the elected South Korean president is more pro-China than pro-United States."
Both Pak and Chang expressed concerns about interference from China in the election due to the use of voting machines.
Last month, President Lee voiced his hopes of a closer relationship with China as both countries were facing higher tariffs from the U.S. under President Donald Trump.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with Lee and stressed the need for improved bilateral ties and greater regional stability, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
"A healthy, stable, and continuously deepening China-South Korea relationship aligns with the trend of the times," Xi said.
Meanwhile, there is growing concern in South Korea over what appears to be retribution by Lee against his political opponents.
Despite vowing not to target conservatives in his administration, Lee has begun investigations into former President Yoon's enactment of martial law that resulted in his impeachment trial and legal action against fellow colleagues in his administration.
"They didn't need to do this," said Chang, referring to the widespread public distaste of conservatives following Yoon's ouster detailed in various surveys.
"We've survived far-left leaders before in South Korea, and I'm afraid that this [electing Lee] will instill a sort of false confidence," said Chang.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina (Asheville), Olivia D'Angelo's poetry, fiction, and nonfiction have been published in various literary journals, including Carolina Muse and The Penwood Review, and she received an honorable mention in the 2024 A. R. Ammons Poetry Contest.
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