"That Resolute Expression"... President Lee's Election Speech Selected as One of Time's '100 Most Influential Photos of the Year'

Photo of North Korean, Chinese, and Russian Leaders at 80th Victory Day Anniversary Also Included

A photograph of President Lee Jaemyung on the day of his presidential election victory speech has been selected as one of Time Magazine's '100 Most Influential Photos of 2025'.

On December 14 (local time), Time Magazine released the list of 100 photos on its official website. Among them is a photo of President Lee, taken just before he addressed his supporters ahead of the final announcement of the presidential election results on June 4, as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. AFP, which captured the image, noted that it shows President Lee with his lips firmly closed and a resolute expression. In a de facto acceptance speech delivered in the early morning hours in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, the day after the presidential vote, President Lee stated, "I will overcome the rebellion, which is the first mission entrusted to me by all of you."

President Lee Jae-myung Appears in Time Magazine's '100 Most Influential Photos of 2025'. Time Magazine Official Website, Yonhap News Agency

A photograph of the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia attending the 80th anniversary World War II Victory Day military parade in Beijing, China, on September 3, was also included among the 100 most influential photos. At the event, Kim Jongun, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, stood alongside Xi Jinping, President of China, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, atop the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, drawing global attention. This marked the first time since the end of the Cold War that the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia gathered together in one place.

On September 3rd, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (from left), Xi Jinping, President of China, and Kim Jongun, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, attended the China Victory Day military parade. Photo by Kyodo News.

Photos from Ukraine, Palestine, and Venezuela Also Included

Other photos among the top 100 include: ▲ Maria Corina Machado, an opposition leader, greeting supporters during an anti-government protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela (January 9); ▲ Palestinians crossing the Netzarim Corridor toward Gaza City in southern Gaza (January 27); and ▲ host Conan O'Brien posing while lying on the red carpet at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles (February 26).

Also selected were a photo of a woman sitting near a house damaged by a Russian airstrike in a residential area of Kyiv, Ukraine (April 24); an image capturing the back of a barefoot mother running to check on her child's safety after a shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota, United States (August 27); and a scene of crowds fleeing after Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at Utah Valley University in Utah (September 10).