Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, has been elected the 21st president. After losing by 0.7 percentage points in the 20th presidential election, he achieved victory with a margin of over 10 percentage points three years later. Born in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, as a 'nothing spoon' boy, he rose to the presidency after serving as the leader of the major opposition party.
President Lee was born in 1964 in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, as the fifth of seven siblings. The family was relatively poor. After graduating from elementary school, he had to work as a boy worker right away. President Lee's family later moved to Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
Instead of entering middle school, President Lee worked as a boy worker at a factory in Sangdaewon-dong, Seongnam. This was also when he suffered an accident that resulted in a disability when his left arm was caught in a factory press machine. After completing middle and high school through the equivalency exam, he enrolled in the law department at Chung-Ang University in 1982 on the condition of receiving a scholarship.
After passing the 28th bar exam in 1986, President Lee worked as a human rights lawyer and a civic activist in Seongnam. He noted that the reason he chose to become a lawyer instead of a judge or prosecutor was a special lecture by former President Roh Moo-hyun. President Lee said, "The special lecture by human rights lawyer Roh Moo-hyun during my time at the judicial research and training institute illuminated my life's direction, making me realize that the path I should take is to be with the citizens."
President Lee entered politics by joining the Uri Party in August 2005. In 2006, he first challenged for the Seongnam mayoral position but lost. After a second attempt, he was elected mayor of Seongnam in the 5th local elections in 2010. He successfully won re-election in 2014.
The time when President Lee's name started to gain prominence was during his tenure as Seongnam mayor. In the early part of his first term, he was noted for being the first among local governments nationwide to declare a moratorium on debt. He gained nationwide recognition by promoting universal welfare programs such as free school uniforms and postpartum care.
President Lee also increased his recognition during the candlelight protests in 2016. He gained public popularity by vocally calling for the 'impeachment and arrest' of former President Park Geun-hye. His unique direct manner of speaking helped him form a fan base while increasing his presence within the Democratic Party as a non-mainstream member.
The challenge for the presidency began in 2017. He participated in the Democratic Party's internal primary to select their presidential candidate, receiving 21.2% of the votes but finished third behind former President Moon Jae-in and former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung. Subsequently, he ran in the 7th nationwide local elections in 2018 and won the gubernatorial position of Gyeonggi Province, solidifying his status as a future presidential contender.
The 20th presidential election marked the time when President Lee solidified his position as the most formidable candidate within the Democratic Party. He received 50.29% of the votes in the party's internal primary for the 20th presidential election, easily surpassing his competitor, former party leader Lee Nak-yon, and was selected as the presidential candidate.
In the 20th presidential election in 2022 against former President Yoon Seok-yeol, President Lee garnered 47.83% of the votes, finishing just 0.73 percentage points behind Yoon. After his defeat in the election, instead of going abroad, he immediately ran in and won the Incheon Gyeongyang District by-election alongside the 8th nationwide local elections. This was his first entry into the National Assembly.
Just two months after entering the National Assembly, President Lee was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party. He successfully ran for re-election in the constituency of Incheon Gyeongyang in last year's general election and succeeded in being re-elected as the Democratic Party's leader.
The background of his constant political activity was marked by legal risks. During the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, President Lee faced legal risks. In November of last year, he was sentenced to prison for violating the Public Official Election Act, putting his eligibility for election in jeopardy. In January of the same year, he faced life-threatening danger when he was attacked with a weapon while visiting Busan.
▲Born in 1964 in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province ▲Bachelor of Laws from Chung-Ang University ▲Mayor of Seongnam for the 5th and 6th terms ▲Governor of Gyeonggi Province for the 7th term ▲Candidate in the Democratic Party primary for the 19th presidential election ▲Governor of Gyeonggi Province ▲Candidate in the Democratic Party for the 20th presidential election ▲Member of the National Assembly for the 21st term (Incheon Gyeongyang) ▲Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea ▲Member of the National Assembly for the 22nd term (Incheon Gyeongyang) ▲Candidate in the Democratic Party for the 21st presidential election ▲21st president