Ordinary North Koreans express optimism over Lee’s inauguration in the South
Lee Jae-myung was inaugurated as the 21st president of the Republic of Korea (Source: South Korean government)
Following a straight news report by the Korean Central News Agency on the inauguration of President Lee Jae-Myung, informing the populace about the change at the top in South Korea without comment, sources say that there is a sense of anticipation among ordinary North Koreans.
According to an NK Times source in Hyesan City, news about Lee’s inauguration has become a major topic of discussion. Residents are said to be hopeful about an improvement in inter-Korean relations.
News of the election has also spread in the North after being conveyed by defectors in South Korea, who rapidly passed it along to people in the region of the border with China.
In particular, it is reported that the defectors emphasized during phone calls with North Korean family members that “President Lee is a politician who stresses dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas.” In response, people are said to be expressing hopes for a loosening of internal controls and economic change, according to the source.
“I heard the news that the president changed through people who went over there,” said A from Ryanggang Province, referring to defectors. He was speaking in a phone call with this paper. “Everyone who calls from there says relations between the two Koreas will soon improve and tells us to hang in there a little longer.”
Another person from the same province expressed similar thoughts. “It’s fortunate that the president over there is someone friendly to us,” said B. “If someone becomes president who wants to engage with us, the controls here ease up a bit, and people aren’t pushed around as badly as they are now. I really hope relations get better soon.”
The backdrop of such reactions seems to lie in the fact that defectors have clearly conveyed President Lee’s stance on inter-Korean relations to North Korean residents.
This atmosphere is even being sensed among members of the security agencies, who are at the forefront of the suppression by the regime.
“I heard that the president over there changed. Isn’t there a chance relations might improve soon?” asked C, a senior official from a security agency in the province. “If that happens, things won’t be as tight as they are now.”
“People involved in trade understand better than anyone how relations with South Korea affect economic activity,” he said. “We don’t know when or what kind of decision will come from above, but isn’t there a high chance things will flow in a good direction?”
Kang is a reporter at NK Times, a Seoul-based media outlet focused on North Korean issues. He was born in 1978 in Chongjin and graduated from Chongjin 1st High School in North Korea. After 10 years of military service in the 4th Army Corps, he attended Chongjin Agricultural University before defecting.
Latest posts by Kang Jae-jun (see all)
- North Korea condemns U.S. human rights offensive in public lectures - July 11, 2025
- Ordinary North Koreans express optimism over Lee’s inauguration in the South - June 16, 2025
- State Security Ministry is now monitoring and restricting military counterintelligence agents—What’s going on? - June 7, 2025