South Korea inaugurated its first female president, who promptly issued a stern warning to the Nuclear North.  President Park Geun-hye called on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

President Park faces the challenge of improving the deteriorating relations with the North, which occurred during the administration of her fellow conservative and immediate predecessor Lee Myung-bak.  That came to a head earlier this month when North Korea tested a nuclear weapon.

Park told a crowd of 70,000 that she “will not tolerate any action that threatens the lives of our people and the security of our nation."

As part of the inaugural festivities, South Korean pop star Psy performed a family-friendly version of his international hit song “Gangnam Style”.

61-year old Park is a conservative who has called for lower taxes, reduced regulation, and stronger “law and order”.  She’s the daughter of former South Korean dictator Park Chung-Hee who ruled with an iron fist in the 1960s and until his assassination in the ‘70s.  She has expressed “regret” over the way pro-Democracy activists were treated during her father’s reign, which often included detention and beatings.