The new South Korean president, a warrior who has overcome all crises.
South Korea's newly elected President Lee Jae-myung is known as a warrior who has overcome numerous crises in both his professional and personal life.
Lee, 61, has always appeared calm and focused on a single goal – winning the presidential election at all costs. He has been a prominent figure in South Korean politics since 2022, after narrowly losing to opponent Yoon Suk-yeol in the presidential election by just 0.73 percentage points. Prior to that, he served as Mayor of Seongnam and Governor of Gyeonggi Province.
In 2022, Lee was elected to the National Assembly, representing Gyeyang-B district in Incheon province, and served two consecutive terms as the leader of the Democratic Party. Despite having been stabbed, convicted of violating election laws, and facing a petition for his arrest, Lee has held onto his position.
According to Yonhap, the newly elected South Korean president has appeared in court five times on 12 charges (all ongoing) and has been accused without evidence of involvement in the deaths of at least five people linked to his trial. Despite all this, Lee continues to attract a large following both inside and outside of politics.
Within his own party, Lee's standing rose rapidly. From a marginal politician, sidelined by those allied with former President Moon Jae-in, Lee became a formidable presidential candidate, his status solidified by the nickname "eodaemyeong," short for "Lee Jae-myung will be president anyway."
Lee was widely believed to be the likely successor to South Korea's top political position when former President Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law on December 3, 2024. While live-streaming on YouTube, Lee rushed to the South Korean National Assembly headquarters that same night and appealed to the public to help him protect the nation.
When the Parliament building was sealed off by police, Lee climbed over the wall and live-streamed the situation inside, attracting 2.4 million views at the time.
The dramatic events that unfolded after the National Assembly lifted martial law, impeached Yoon, and led to his removal from office, presented an opportunity for Lee. Lee's recent election victory will serve as a verdict against the former president's "rebellious forces."
During his time as mayor, despite government opposition, Lee actively promoted a series of welfare programs including universal basic income for young people, free school uniforms, and free postpartum care.
Universal basic income became one of his signature policies.
In 2017, Lee participated in the presidential primary but 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 bid, he secured the party's nomination but lost to Yoon.
Shortly afterward, he headed the Democratic Party's election committee in the 2022 local elections and also ran for a seat in the Incheon legislature. Although the Democratic Party lost, he won. This result sparked widespread criticism. Some dissidents within the party accused Lee of exploiting his parliamentary immunity to avoid prosecution in trials for corruption charges.
However, two months later, the Democratic Party still elected Lee as its leader. Under his leadership, the Democratic Party won a resounding victory in the general election in April 2024.
Mr. Lee is married to Ms. Kim Hye-kyun and has two children. Before entering politics, he was a human rights lawyer.
