Join War on the Rocks and gain access to content trusted by policymakers, military leaders, and strategic thinkers worldwide.
In early June, Lee Jae-myung — the Democratic Party’s candidate — won South Korea’s presidential elections. He took office after several months of political turbulence that followed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law. Lee’s election raised questions about the future of South Korean security and foreign policy. Now that Lee has chosen key members of his policy team — including nominating Ahn Gyu-back as the first civilian defense minister in decades — a clearer picture is emerging of how the new government will approach defense and relations with allies and rivals. We asked four experts to
