Lee Jae-myung, a progressive politician who advocates for a more crypto-friendly policy direction, has been sworn in as South Korea’s new president. Representing the center-left Democratic Party, he secured over 49% of the votes in a special election just six months after former President Yoon Suk-yeol imposed martial law, prompting widespread unrest and calls for fresh leadership. Near-final data from the National Election Commission shows that nearly 80% of eligible voters participated in this year’s election, the highest turnout since 1997. Lee’s victory is seen as a sign of hope for a shift towards modernization and change, especially in South Korea’s financial system and its embrace of new technologies like cryptocurrency.