With Lee Jae-myung confirmed as South Korea’s 21st president following the snap June 3 election, he will assume the presidency without a formal transition period. 

But early signs suggest Lee intends to assert executive control through informal networks, interim appointments and procedural workarounds.

With limited time and constrained institutional bandwidth, Lee’s team is moving quickly to consolidate power and shape the government’s policy trajectory before structural reforms are in place.

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

Beginning his term on Wednesday at 6:21 a.m., Lee entered office without the benefit of a 60-day transition or a pre-confirmed Cabinet. However, unlike former President