South Korea's new president Moon Jae-in has taken the oath of office and begun his five-year term.
The 64-year-old former human rights lawyer and economic liberal won a landslide victory in polls yesterday, which saw the highest turnout in 20 years.
Mr Moon, of the Democratic Party, took 41.1% of the votes, far ahead of Conservative Hong Joon-Pyo, his closest rival on 24.03%.
The new president is expected to announce major cabinet and presidential staff appointments almost immediately to swiftly end a power vacuum left by the removal of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, in a corruption scandal in March.
As president, Mr Moon must find a way to coax an increasingly belligerent North Korea to dial back on its nuclear and missile threats while defusing a potential trade conflict with the United States.
His advocacy of engagement with North Korea contrasts with the approach adopted by the United States, South Korea's main ally, which is seeking to step up pressure on Pyongyang through further isolation and sanctions.
The White House nevertheless quickly congratulated Mr Moon, saying it looked forward to working with him to strengthen the longstanding US-South Korea alliance.
