South Korean President Lee Jae-myung speaks after being elected on June 4, 2025. Lee Jae-myung taking office as the new South Korean President put an end to the six-month political crisis triggered by the December martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The absence of a president had also resulted in diplomatic inactivity for six months. The trickiest problem for the ROK’s diplomacy is balancing its relationships with the United States, China and Japan. A new president in South Korea presents a major opportunity to restore normalcy and pragmatism to the political and diplomatic landscape, to improve ties with China and improve trilateral cooperation in East Asia.