New South Korean President, a warrior who overcomes all crises
Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is known as a warrior who has overcome crises in both his professional and personal life.
Mr. Lee, 61, has always been calm and focused on a single goal - winning the presidential election at all costs. He has been prominent in Korean politics since 2022, when he lost the presidential election to his opponent Yoon Suk-yeol by a narrow margin of 0.73 percentage points. Before that, this politician served as Mayor of Seongnam and Governor of Gyeonggi Province.
In 2022, Mr. Lee was elected to the National Assembly, representing Gyeyang-B District of Incheon Province, and served two consecutive terms as leader of the Democratic Party. Despite being stabbed, convicted of violating election laws, and facing a motion for arrest, Mr. Lee has maintained his position.
According to Yonhap, the newly elected South Korean president has been tried five times on 12 charges (all of which are ongoing) and has been accused without evidence of his role in the deaths of at least five people involved in his trial. Despite all this, Mr. Lee still attracts a large number of supporters both inside and outside the political arena.
Within his own party, Mr. Lee’s status has risen rapidly. From a fringe politician who was sidelined by those aligned with former President Moon Jae-in, Mr. Lee has become a front-runner for the presidency, whose status is underlined by the nickname “eodaemyeong,” short for “the president will be Lee Jae-myung anyway.”
Mr. Lee was widely expected to take over the top political post in South Korea when former President Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law on December 3, 2024. While broadcasting live on YouTube, Mr. Lee rushed to the South Korean National Assembly that same night and called on the people to help him defend the country.
When the National Assembly building was sealed off by police, Mr. Lee climbed over the wall and went inside to broadcast the situation live, attracting 2.4 million views at the time.
The dramatic events that followed the lifting of martial law, the impeachment of Yoon and the removal of the president, presented Lee with an opportunity. The election that Lee had just won would be a verdict on the former president’s “rebellious forces.”
During his time as mayor, despite government opposition, Mr. Lee actively promoted a series of welfare programs including a universal basic income for young people, free school uniforms and free postpartum care.
Universal basic income has become one of his signature policies.
In 2017, Mr. Lee participated in the presidential primary election but only finished third overall. The following year, he was elected governor of Gyeonggi Province and began to build his image as a future presidential candidate. In his second presidential run, he won the party's nomination but lost to Mr. Yoon.
He then headed the Democratic Party’s election committee for the 2022 local elections and ran for a seat in the Incheon legislature. Although the Democratic Party lost, he won, a result that sparked criticism. Some party dissidents accused Lee of using his parliamentary immunity to avoid prosecution in his corruption trials.
However, two months later, the Democratic Party elected Mr. Lee as its leader. Under his leadership, the Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the April 2024 general election.
Mr. Lee is married to Ms. Kim Hye-kyun and has two children. Before entering politics, he was a human rights lawyer.
