His country’s stratospheric rise from poverty to one of the world’s leading economies is reflected in Lee Jae-myung’s difficult path to becoming president of South Korea.
South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was comparable to that of sub-Saharan African countries when Lee, a scandal-prone school dropout-turned-lawyer, was born in 1963.
Lee’s birth certificate was issued in South Korea for about a year, which is a mystery because his parents, like many other families, were aware of the country’s skyrocketing infant mortality of the time.
Even by today’s standards, Lee’s early years were marred by poverty and hardship, including work as an underage factory worker.
Lee, the standard bearer of the left-leaning Democratic Party, has frequently attributed his humble beginnings to shaping his progressive beliefs. He is renowned for his populist and outspoken style.
In a speech in 2022, Lee said, “Poverty is not a sin, but I was always particularly sensitive to the injustices I experienced because of poverty.”
“I’m in politics right now to assist those who are still living in the pit of poverty and despair from which I was able to escape by creating a just society and a world filled with hope.”
Lee, the fifth of seven children, left his early years of education to move to Seongnam, a satellite city in Seoul, and start a family support business.
Lee, who was 15 years old, was permanently unable to straighten his left arm in a manufacturing accident at a factory that made baseball gloves.
Lee completed her middle and high school studies while working from home, despite missing her years of formal education.
He was accepted to Chung-Ang University in Seoul in 1982 to study law, and he passed the bar exam four years later.
Lee is renowned for standing up for the rights of the underprivileged, including those who were injured at work or who were facing eviction as a result of urban redevelopment projects.
Lee launched his first political campaign in 2006 with a run unsuccessful for Seongnam mayor. Two years later, he lost the election for a city parliamentary seat.
He won his second attempt to win the mayoral election in 2010 and won re-election four years later, finally making it his first step into politics.
Lee served as governor of Gyeonggi, the most populous province in the region that surrounds Seoul, between 2018 and 2021.
By introducing a number of populist-flavoured economic policies, including a limited form of universal basic income, Lee attracted attention from both his immediate electorate as mayor and governor.
After resigning as governor, Lee took the Democratic Party’s presidential campaign to lose to Yoon Suk-yeol by a narrow margin, the lowest margin in South Korean history.
Lee led the Democratic Party to one of its best results in the parliamentary elections of last year, winning it 173 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly despite facing a slew of political and personal scandals, culminating in at least five legal cases.
Lee won almost 90 percent of the primary vote after Yoon was impeached and removed from office following his brief but brief lapse in declaring martial law in December.
His approach to communication is direct and straightforward, and he is astute in recognizing social and political trends, which is unusual for politicians of his generation in Korea, according to Michigan State University’s Lee Myung-hee.
“Despite the fact that it may easily offend his opponents, this direct communication style can occasionally hinder his political advancement.”
Lee underlined his progressive credentials in his election campaign by adopting a more realistic persona and a less populist economic agenda.
Lee’s victory was rarely in doubt in the weeks leading up to the election, with Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party frequently trailing the candidate by more than 20 points in polls.
A “progressive pragmatist”
As president, Lee has pledged to prioritize the economy, recommending, among other things, a significant increase in artificial intelligence investment, the introduction of a four-and-a-half day work week, and parental tax deductions in proportion to the number of children they have.
In terms of foreign affairs, he has promised to repair relations with North Korea while urging it to end its nuclear program, in keeping with his Democratic Party’s tradition, and to keep the US-Korea security alliance without excluding Russia and China.
He is a progressive pragmatist, I would say. He won’t adhere to any steadfast progressive or even conservative policies, according to Yong-chool Ha, director of the University of Washington’s Center for Korea Studies.
He is described as “manipulative,” while his supporters call him “flexible.”
He is a survivor, I would say.
While Lee will win the support of a majority in the National Assembly, he will assume leadership in a divided and divided nation.
His success will depend on his ability to navigate the country’s highly polarized and conflicted political landscape, according to Lee, a professor at Michigan State University.
Lee will also have to navigate the conflict in international relations caused by US President Donald Trump’s shake-up of trade and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
After two unsuccessful attempts to become president, Lee’s election represents an extraordinary comeback that is appropriate for the story of his rise.
In connection with a land corruption scandal, Lee was facing five criminal charges, including those involving election law violations and trust breaches.
Lee’s five-year term in office will almost certainly not lead to a trial following his election.
Standing presidents are protected from prosecution under the South Korean Constitution, aside from insurrection and treason, but legal experts disagree on whether this protection extends to already-running proceedings.
