As the victory of Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung appears certain, European media showed keen interest in the situation of Korea's 21st presidential election on the 3rd (local time).
BBC provided a special 'live blog' on its website from the morning of that day, reporting in real time on the voting and counting of the Korean presidential election.
In a separate analysis article, the broadcast noted that Korea held the presidential election after 'six months of chaos' following a martial law situation, diagnosing that integrating the nation and reinstilling confidence in democracy among the public will be a critical task for the next president.
It also noted that dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump is an imminent issue. The broadcast analyzed, "As Korea has been hit by the high tariff rates of the U.S., it must resolve tariff negotiations while ensuring security," adding, "Tens of thousands of U.S. troops are stationed in Korea, and Koreans are concerned that President Trump may reduce the scale of U.S. troops."
The British daily The Guardian reported that candidate Lee rode the wave of 'public anger' against former President Yoon's martial law, noting that some Korean voters see this election, held after the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-youl, as evidence of a healthy democracy.
Nonetheless, it forecasted that the division left by former President Yoon will follow candidate Lee from the start of the term, and he will face several challenges including economic slowdown, trade wars initiated by Trump, and the threat of North Korea's nuclear program.
Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) pointed out that Korea's economic growth is sluggish and chronic issues such as low birthrate, income inequality, and high cost of living remain severe, criticizing that candidate Lee has not yet clearly stated how to resolve these issues.
France's Le Figaro reported that the next president faces the task of addressing the 'unpredictable' threat of North Korea while balancing the dynamics between ally the U.S. and major trading partner China, which are at odds.