Lee calls office a 'graveyard' after shambolic handover

South Korea’s president is likely to move back to the Blue House, which was abandoned by predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol

- SHWETA SHARMA

The newly sworn-in president of South Korea said on his first day in charge that the presidential office left behind by his ousted predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, felt like a “graveyard”, with not even a pencil left behind.

Lee Jae Myung took office on Wednesday after winning the snap presidential election with a significant margin over his rival Kim Moon Soo, riding a wave of anger after Mr Yoon’s 3 December attempt to impose martial law threw the country into chaos.

The new leader appeared baffled by the lack of preparation at the presidential office in the Yongsan district of Seoul after finding that it was stripped of computers, printers and even pens.