New South Korean president's 'honeymoon' will be brief

Significance

Yoon won the March 9 presidential election by a tiny margin and was sworn in on May 10. He is a career prosecutor who has never held political office before. His skills and vision will immediately be tested by economic challenges at home and external threats from North Korea and China.

Impacts

• Seoul’s joining the new US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity will not please Beijing.
• China and Russia’s veto of a UN sanctions resolution yesterday signals the end of even nominal multilateral unity against Pyongyang.
• North Korea will soon conduct more intercontinental ballistic missile launches and a fresh nuclear test, knowing this is consequence-free.