PM Modi congratulates Lee Jae-Myung on South Korean presidency, vows to strengthen India-South Korea ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Lee Jae-Myung on his election as South Korea’s president, expressing eagerness to work closely and strengthen the India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership for enhanced cooperation and mutual growth.

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Lee Jae-Myung on his election as President of the Republic of Korea and expressed his intent to work closely with him to "expand and strengthen" the India-ROK “Special Strategic Partnership”.

In a post on X, he said, "Congratulations to Mr Lee Jae-Myung on being elected as the President of the Republic of Korea. Look forward to working together to further expand and strengthen the India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership."

 <br>Lee Jae-myung's hardscrabble path to the <a href="https://newsable.asianetnews.com/tag/south-korea">South Korean</a> presidency mirrors his country's rise from grinding poverty to one of the world's leading economies, Al Jazeera reported.</p><p>When Lee, a scandal-prone school dropout-turned-lawyer who was elected in a landslide on Tuesday, was born in 1963, South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was comparable to sub-Saharan African nations.</p><div type="dfp" position=3>Ad3</div><p>Known for his populist and outspoken style, Lee, the standard bearer for the left-leaning Democratic Party, has often credited his humble beginnings with moulding his progressive beliefs.</p><p>"Poverty is not a sin, but I was always particularly sensitive to the injustices I experienced because of poverty," Lee said in a speech in 2022, as quoted by Al Jazeera.</p><p>"The reason I am in politics now is to help those still suffering in the pit of poverty and despair that I managed to escape, by building a fair society and a world with hope," he said.</p><div type="dfp" position=4>Ad4</div><p>As president, Lee has pledged to prioritise the economy, proposing, among other things, a major boost in investment in artificial intelligence, the introduction of a four-and-a-half-day work week, and tax deductions for parents in proportion to the number of children they have, as per Al Jazeera.</p><p>On foreign affairs, he has promised to mend relations with North Korea while pushing for its ultimate denuclearisation – i keeping with the traditional stance of his Democratic Party - and maintain the US-Korea security alliance without alienating China and Russia.</p>