He said in his inaugural address after taking office Wednesday that his government will deal with potential North Korean aggressions with “a strong deterrence” based on the solid South Korea-U.S. military alliance.

New South Korean President Lee Jae-myung described his victory as the start of the country's return to normalcy, after winning a tense election that capped off months of political turmoil.

Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as South Korea's president on Wednesday, just hours after his victory was certified in a snap election that brought an end to months of political turmoil in the country.