The new South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung, calls himself a foreign policy “pragmatist”. He says he is driven by South Korea’s national interest, rather than ideology, and has spoken of his desire to improve relations with China and North Korea.

The new South Korean administration will likely make efforts to buy time for U.S. trade talks, as it studies the negotiations of bigger neighbours Japan and China for leverage, according to sources familiar with the ruling party's thinking.

At age 14 he was an impoverished factory worker. On Wednesday, he became the leader of one of Asia’s most powerful economies, a US ally and cultural juggernaut.

Liberal Lee Jae-myung defeated Kim Moon-soo in South Korea's election after Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, prompting potential changes in foreign policy focus.

The White House said on Tuesday that South Korea's election, which saw liberal party candidate Lee Jae-myung win the presidency, was fair, but it expressed concern about Chinese interference.

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is projected to be the new president following a snap election on Tuesday, according to an exit poll by Korean broadcasters, in a vote held exactly six months after the country’s previous leader declared martial law and plunged the nation into chaos.

As South Korea's election nears, Lee Jae-myung's approach to U.S.-China relations sparks debate, highlighting the geopolitical stakes of the race.

The country's steadily declining births has Kim Jong Un worried, with earlier reports describing crackdowns on secret abortions and contraceptive vendors.