South Korea's 2025 snap election won by Lee Jae-myung

Active · last development Sep 22, 2026: “South Korea's Lee tells AP he advocates step-by-step approach to North's nuclear disarmament”

What this arc covers

South Korea's June 2025 presidential election and its winner, the liberal Lee Jae-myung: the vote, the exit polls, his pledges on ties with the US and Japan and on talks with the North, and his first meeting with Trump in Washington.

Earliest story we hold Apr 8, 2025 · 8 stories · 45 independent sources (counted once each) · 532 days

Part of South Korea

  1. South Korea's martial law crisis and President Yoon's impeachment and trialDec 3, 2024 – Jul 9, 2026
  2. South Korea's 2025 snap election won by Lee Jae-myungThis arcApr 8, 2025 – Sep 22, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 222026South Korea's Lee tells AP he advocates step-by-step approach to North's nuclear disarmament5 articles · 4 independent sources
1 left, 1 center, 1 right
Aug 22– 252025South Korean President Lee to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday16 articles · 12 independent sources
5 left, 2 center, 1 right
Jun 42025South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung says he’ll bolster US-Japan ties and pursue talks with North6 articles · 5 independent sources
0 left, 1 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Apr 8, 2025South Korea Will Hold a Presidential Election June 3 to Choose Yoon's Successor10 articles · 10 independent sources
  2. Jun 1 – 3, 2025South Koreans heading to polls to choose leader27 articles · 21 independent sources
  3. Jun 2 – 4, 2025Who is Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s new president?38 articles · 26 independent sources
  4. Jun 3, 2025Exit poll shows liberal candidate Lee forecast to win South Korean presidential election7 articles · 7 independent sources
  5. Aug 22 – 25, 2025South Korean President Lee to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday16 articles · 12 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Apr 2025Jul 2025Nov 2025Feb 2026Jun 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Apr 7, 202516212
May 26, 20250308
Jun 2, 2025816548
Aug 18, 20252103
Aug 25, 20254118
Sep 21, 20261115

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

27% left · 55% center · 18% right of 45 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 8 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. April 2025

    Apr 8– 10South Korean opposition leader Lee opens presidential bid following Yoon's ouster5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 1 right
  2. Apr 8South Korea Will Hold a Presidential Election June 3 to Choose Yoon's Successor10 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
  3. June 2025

    Jun 1– 3South Koreans heading to polls to choose leader27 articles · 21 independent sources
    3 left, 8 center, 2 right
  4. Jun 2– 4Who is Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s new president?38 articles · 26 independent sources
    5 left, 11 center, 3 right
  5. Jun 3Exit poll shows liberal candidate Lee forecast to win South Korean presidential election7 articles · 7 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 1 right
  6. August 2025

    Aug 22– 25South Korean President Lee to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday16 articles · 12 independent sources
    5 left, 2 center, 1 right
  7. September 2026

    Sep 22South Korea's Lee tells AP he advocates step-by-step approach to North's nuclear disarmament5 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right