Asean will remain important to South Korea under its new leader: Comment

President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo (third left) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-In (second right) during a bilateral meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Nov 25, 2019. During the meeting, Moon appreciates Indonesia's role on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): South Korea has elected Yoon Suk-yeol of the opposition People’s Power Party (PPP) to become the nation’s next president. The election was a close call, with only a 0.8 percentage point margin between the conservatives and progressives.

Domestically, the election has highlighted the divided electorate since the start. The new government will commence its term in less than two months, yet the president-elect has been sending a strong signal that his administration will take the opposite trajectory from the administration of outgoing President Moon Jae-in.