South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung has pledged to heal relations with North Korea and promote peace, whatever the cost

<p>In his inauguration speech, Lee Jae-myung pledged to improve relations with North Korea, emphasizing that peace is preferable to war. Lee won 49.42% of the vote, beating Kim Moon-soo. The new president stressed the need to maintain a ready army, but opened the door to dialog with Pyongyang. He faces domestic challenges, including a low birth rate, and has rejected cabinet resignations, with the exception of the justice minister.