Jump to content

Lee Jae-myung

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a Korean name; the family name is Lee.
Lee Jae-myung
이재명
Lee in June 2025
Lee at his inauguration in June 2025
14th President of South Korea
Assumed office
4 June 2025
Prime MinisterLee Ju-ho (acting)
Kim Min-seok
Preceded byYoon Suk Yeol
Lee Ju-ho (acting)
Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea
In office
28 August 2022 – 9 April 2025
Preceded byWoo Sang-ho
Succeeded byPark Chan-dae (acting)
Other positions
Member of the National Assembly
In office
2 June 2022 – 4 June 2025
Preceded bySong Young-gil
Succeeded byVacant
ConstituencyGyeyang B (Incheon)
Governor of Gyeonggi Province
In office
1 July 2018 – 25 October 2021
Preceded byNam Kyung-pil
Succeeded by
Mayor of Seongnam
In office
1 July 2010 – 15 March 2018
Preceded byLee Dae-yup
Succeeded byEun Su-mi
Personal details
Bornc.  (1963-12-08) 8 December 1963 (age 61)
Andong, South Korea
Political partyDemocratic (since 2014)
Other political
affiliations
  • Uri (2005–2007)
  • GUDNP (2007–2008)
  • UDP (2008–2011)
  • DUP (2011–2014)
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1991)​
Children2
Education
Occupation
  • Politician
  • author
ProfessionLawyer
Signature

Lee Jae-myung (Hangul: 이재명; born c. 8 December 1963)[a] is a South Korean politician and lawyer who has been the 14th and current President of South Korea since 2025. He was a member of the National Assembly from 2022 until 2025. In August 2022, he was elected Leader of the Democratic Party. He resigned from the leadership role in April 2025 after announcing his presidential campaign in the 2025 snap presidential election.

Lee was Mayor of Seongnam, the tenth largest city in South Korea, from 2010 to 2018. He is a member of the centre-liberal Democratic Party. In 2018, he became Governor of Gyeonggi Province. He became well known during his time as governor for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

In July 2021, Lee announced his candidacy for President of South Korea in the 2022 election.[3] He was seen as the front-runner for the presidency, leading in many polls until late 2021.[4] He lost the election to conservative former prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol by a small amount of votes in March 2022.[5]

In January 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt. Later in November, he was convicted of violating the Public Official Election Act. However, the decision was overturned upon appeal, allowing him to run for public office again. During the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis, Lee became well known for climbing the National Assembly building fence and recording the event in a livestream. He later played a large role in leading the impeachment against Yoon. When Yoon was removed from office, Lee announced his third presidential campaign for the 2025 presidential elections. He was elected president in a landslide victory in June 2025 and sworn-in shortly after.

Personal life

[change | change source]

Lee was born possibly[1] on 8 December 1963 in Andong, South Korea as the fifth of seven children.[6] Lee's official date of birth is recorded as 22 December 1964; however, this date was picked by his father because of a delay in registering the birth. His actual birth date is believed to fall between the 22nd and 23rd days of the 10th month in the Korean lunisolar calendar.[1]

Growing up, Lee's family lived in poverty.[7] As a child, he worked at a rubber factory illegally as he was not old enough to work.[7] He hurt his finger during a work accident.[7] In a second workplace injury, an industrial press crushed his wrist joint. The injury was untreated and caused a disability in his arm.[8][9] He is registered as a disabled person.[10]

He studied at Chung-Ang University and Gachon University. He became a lawyer after graduating. In 1991, he married Kim Hye-kyung. They have two children.

Mayor of Seongnam (2010–2018)

[change | change source]

As mayor of Seongnam, he was known for creating the city's social welfare program.[11] From 2010 to 2014, Lee announced a moratorium on payments of debt. Some criticized Lee for this and accused him of creating a political stunt. Critics said the moratorium was not needed because the city had never been forced to repay the debt immediately.[12][13]

At the same time, he used the money saved to expand social welfare programs, such as offering a universal basic income for young people, free school uniforms and free postnatal care.[14]

Lee was also known for banning dog meat and to shut down dog slaughtering facilities in Moran Market.[15][16] In 2016, Lee signed an agreement with shop owners that ended the display and slaughter of live dogs at the market.[17]

Governor of Gyeonggi Province (2018–2021)

[change | change source]

After losing his first presidential campaign, Lee ran for Governor of Gyeonggi Province.[18] Lee became known for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic as governor.[19]

Lee announced a special order for all foreigners working in Gyeonggi Province to be tested for COVID-19.[20][21] Seoul announced similar policies but changed them to recommendation after facing criticism.[22][23]

National Assembly (2022–2025)

[change | change source]
Lee in July 2024

On 7 May 2022, Lee declared his candidacy in the June 2022 elections running for a district vacant seat in Incheon for the National Assembly.[24] Lee won the seat in the elections on 1 June 2022. Afterwards, he was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea on 28 August and became the opposition leader.[25]

In 2023, Lee launched a 24-day hunger strike to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol's response to Japan’s release of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power, his handling of the country’s post-pandemic economy and his strict policies on North Korea.[26]

Lee became known worldwide in 2024 when, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and tried to stop the National Assembly from meeting using the military, continued to go to the Assembly building anyway.[27] Lee started a livestream on his YouTube channel, recording himself climbing the National Assembly building fence to pass the military personnel. The Democratic Party said that an arrest team had been sent to him.[27][28][29] This was confirmed from testimony by National Intelligence Service (NIS) Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, who said that Yoon wanted to "use this chance to arrest [opposition leaders] and wipe them out."[30][31][32]

Presidential campaigns

[change | change source]

2017

[change | change source]

While he was mayor of Seongnam, Lee ran for President of South Korea in 2017 after former president Park Geun-hye was impeached on corruption allegations. In the Democratic Party's primary election, Lee placed third behind Moon Jae-in, the former party chairman, and Ahn Hee-jung, the governor of South Chungcheong Province.[33][34] Lee is part of the progressive wing in the Democratic Party.[35][36]

Lee visiting Gangwon during his 2022 presidential campaign

2022

[change | change source]

Lee declared his candidacy in the 2022 presidential election in July 2021.[37]

Lee became the nominee of the Democratic Party of Korea on 10 October 2021.[38][39] Lee won a majority of the votes in the primary and made it directly to the presidential election without a runoff.[40]

In the general election, Lee lost to Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party, 47.8% to 48.6%.[41]

2025

[change | change source]
Main article: 2025 South Korean presidential election

On 9 April 2025, five days after the April 4 impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee resigned as leader of the Democratic Party.[42][43] He announced his candidacy for the presidential election on 10 April.[44]

On 27 April, Lee officially won the Democratic Party presidential primaries and became the party's official nominee for President.[45] Among his campaign promises was changing the Constitution to allow presidents to serve two four-year terms and introduce run-off voting.[46] On June 3, 2025, Lee won the presidential election in a landslide victory with 51.7% of the vote, defeating People Power nominee Kim Moon-soo and Reform nominee Lee Jun-seok.[47]

Presidency (2025–present)

[change | change source]

Lee was sworn-in on 4 June 2025 at 11:00 local time.[48] The swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural address to the nation was held in the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly.[49][50] That same day, Lee said he planned to name Kim Min-seok as Prime Minister.[51] A day after being sworn-in, Lee withdrew nominations made by former acting president Han Duck-soo to the Constitutional Court.[52] He also ordered the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to move its headquarters to Busan, which had been part of his campaign promises.[53]

Corruption investigation

[change | change source]
Lee with People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon in September 2024

Since late 2022, Lee has been at the center of a corruption investigation. It is said that while he was mayor of Seongnam, he would receive donations from businesses and did them favors. On 10 January 2023, he went to the prosecutors office for questioning. This also marked the first time that an opposition leader was brought in for questioning regarding a criminal case, following the South Korean transition into democracy.[54]

In February 2023, a motion for the arrest of Lee Jae-myung, which was reapproved by the prosecution, was rejected by the National Assembly, however with a large number of rebel votes within the party.[55]

In September 2023, Seoul prosecutors pushed for another motion to arrest Lee on corruption charges for giving special favours to a land developer in Seongnam. On 21 September, the Democratic-majority National Assembly approved the motion, with a 149-136 vote, with dozens of his own party members voting to arrest him.[56] On that day, he was given an arrest warrant, the first time an opposition leader was arrested since the country's democratic transition.[57][58] As a result, Lee went on a hunger strike in protest against the charges and President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of using the criminal justice system to scare political opponents.[59]

Lee was released after the Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrant on 27 September 2023.[60]

Assassination attempt

[change | change source]
Main article: Assassination attempt of Lee Jae-myung

On 2 January 2024, Lee was stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan.[61] Lee suffered a "one-centimetre wound on his neck" with minor bleeding.[62] Lee was hospitalized at Pusan National University Hospital.[63] He was then transferred to Seoul National University Hospital with "non life-threatening" injuries.[64] Lee had emergency surgery later in the day and was in recovery under critical condition hours later.[65]

Notes

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ It is believed that Lee was born around this date; Lee's father registered his birth date late. Lee's legal birth date is 22 December 1964, but this date was picked by his father.[1]

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 이재명 생일만 되면… 호적 날짜에 소환통보, 음력땐 정진상 영장. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 22 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  2. ↑ "Gov. Lee, chief prosecutor in close race in presidential hopefuls poll". Yonhap News Agency. 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  3. ↑ "Poll: Fmr. PM Lee Nak-yon Leading Potential Contenders for 2022 Presidential Race". world.kbs.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  4. ↑ "(LEAD) Gyeonggi governor launches presidential bid, vowing to reduce inequality". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  5. ↑ Sang-Hun, Choe (9 March 2022). "Live Updates: Opposition's Yoon Wins Tight Race for South Korean Presidency". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Lee Jae-myung just announced he's running for president. Here's everything you need to know". Korea JoongAng Daily. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 [파워엘리트] 이재명, 교복 부럽던 '소년공'에서 '대선주자'까지. raythep.mk.co.kr/ (in Korean). 11 January 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  8. ↑ 최종수정 2015.05.15. 16:24:38, 한림국제대학원대학교 정치경영연구소 | 기사입력 2015 05 13 13:49:08 (13 May 2015). "이재명 "대선 후보? 스피커가 커져 좋다"". pressian.com (in Korean). Retrieved 22 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "민) 이재명 후보, 병역 문제 공개 검증 하자". 굿타임즈 (in Korean). 29 May 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  10. ↑ 변덕호 기자 (16 February 2022). "이재명 "나도 등록 장애인...대통령이 직접 장애정책 챙기겠다" – 매일경제". Mk.co.kr. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  11. ↑ "이재명표 복지정책 빛났다...'공공서비스 대상' 받아 – 아시아경제". 11 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "경기 성남시 모라토리엄 공방의 진실". Chosun (in Korean). 18 March 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "애초에 존재하지 않았던 '성남 모라토리엄' (2)". 한국경제 (in Korean). Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Lee Jae-myung, a 'bulldozing public administrator' fearless of conflicts". 12 September 2021.
  15. ↑ "모란시장에서 개고기 사라진다 – 다음뉴스". 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "Actress admits to affair with Lee Jae-myung". Korea JoongAng Daily. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Mature actress defends her troubled mother". 11 June 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  18. ↑ Herald, The Korea (19 November 2019). "14 mayors, governors file petition to save Lee Jae-myung's governorship". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  19. ↑ "Gov. Lee, chief prosecutor in close race in presidential hopefuls poll". Yonhap News Agency. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "S.Korea rights panel probes whether mandated COVID-19 tests for foreigners is discriminatory". Thomson Reuters Foundation News. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "Foreign residents call mandatory COVID-19 testing 'discrimination'". The Korea Times. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  22. ↑ "[News Focus] Foreign workers still face COVID-19 tests outside Seoul". The Korea Herald. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  23. ↑ "경기도, 외국인 코로나19 전수검사했더니...329명 확진". 연합뉴스TV (in Korean). 24 March 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  24. ↑ Lee, Haye-ah (8 May 2022). "(LEAD) Lee Jae-myung declares bid for parliamentary seat in Incheon". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  25. ↑ Lee, Minji (28 August 2022). "(2nd LD) Ex-presidential candidate Lee elected DP's new leader". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  26. ↑ "South Korea's liberal opposition leader stabbed in the neck by knife-wielding man". MSN. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Álvarez Bríñez, Ana Rocío; Hjelmgaard, Kim; Mayes-Osterman, Cybele. "President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declares martial law. Why, how opposition reacted". usatoday. USA Today. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  28. ↑ Kim, Tong-hyung (3 December 2024). "South Korean parliament votes to defy president by lifting his declaration of martial law". Politico. AP News. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  29. ↑ Thompson, Angus (4 December 2024). "South Korea's president faces impeachment over martial law chaos as defence minister offers to resign". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  30. ↑ "NIS deputy names leaders targeted by Yoon after martial law declaration". The Chosun Ilbo. 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024.
  31. ↑ 홍장원 "尹, 계엄선포 후 '이번 기회에 잡아들여, 싹 다 정리' 지시". Daum (in Korean). 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024.
  32. ↑ "尹이 체포 지시한 인사엔...김명수·권순일·김민웅 그리고 김어준". Daum (in Korean). 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024.
  33. ↑ "Split voting could boost fate of People's Party". Korea JoongAng Daily. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  34. ↑ "이재명 명실상부 대권주자 '빅3'... 국민의당 지지율↓-리얼미터". 8 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  35. ↑ "Lee Jae-myung: Populist, Left-wing, Unapologetic". KOREA EXPOSÉ. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  36. ↑ '이재명 현상', 진보정치가 마땅히 채웠어야 할 공백의 다른 이름 ["Lee Jae Myung Phenomenon". Another name for the gap that progressive politics should have filled.]. 프레시안 (in Japanese). 16 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  37. ↑ "Gyeonggi governor vows to tackle inequality, unfairness". 1 July 2021.
  38. ↑ Chung, Esther (10 October 2021). "Gov. Lee Jae-myung elected as DP's presidential candidate". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  39. ↑ Kim, Jaewon (10 October 2021). "Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea ruling party's presidential primary". Nikkei Asia. Nikkei, Inc. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  40. ↑ "[속보] 이재명 민주당 대선후보 확정...누적 득표율 50.29%". 10 October 2021.
  41. ↑ Sang-Hun, Choe (2022-03-09). "South Korean Presidential Election: Opposition's Yoon Wins Tight Race for South Korean Presidency". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  42. ↑ 조선일보 (2025-04-09). "이재명, 당 대표 사퇴... "새로운 일 시작" 대선 출마 수순" [Lee Jae-myung resigns as party leader... “Start a new job” presidential bid]. 조선일보 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  43. ↑ "South Korea to hold presidential election on 3 June". BBC News. 2025-04-08. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  44. ↑ Kim Tong-hyung (2025-04-10). "South Korean opposition leader Lee opens presidential bid following Yoon's ouster". AP News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  45. ↑ 민주당 대선후보 이재명 "압도적 정권 탈환 통해 구시대 청산". The Dong-A Ilbo. 2025-04-27. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  46. ↑ "(LEAD) DP's Lee proposes amending Constitution for two four-year presidential terms". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  47. ↑ "Lee Jae-myung set to be South Korea's new president, exit polls show". The Straits Times. June 3, 2025.
  48. ↑ "Lee sworn in as S. Korean preside". Yonhap News Agency. June 4, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  49. ↑ Park, Anna J. (June 4, 2025). "New president vows to unite divided nation in inaugural address". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  50. ↑ Hankookibo (June 4, 2025). "Lee Jae-myung to take presidential oath at National Assembly at 11 am". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  51. ↑ Seung-yeon, Kim (June 4, 2025). "DP's Lee taps top campaign aide Kim Min-seok as prime minister". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  52. ↑ Kim, Seung-yeon (2025-06-05). "(LEAD) Lee withdraws nominations of two Constitutional Court justices". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  53. ↑ Kim, Eun-jung (2025-06-05). "Lee orders swift relocation of oceans ministry to Busan". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  54. ↑ "DP's Lee Jae-myung questioned as suspect for first time". Korea joongang daily. 10 January 2023.
  55. ↑ Joh, Yun-yeong; Oh, Yeon-seo. "Top opposition leader Lee avoids arrest in unexpectedly close vote". The Hankyoreh. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  56. ↑ Lee, Michael (21 September 2023). "National Assembly clears way for DP leader's arrest". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  57. ↑ Hwang, Seok-Joo (2023-09-21). "Justice minister on opposition leader's arrest warrant". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  58. ↑ "National Assembly clears way for DP leader's arrest". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  59. ↑ "South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in neck as he speaks to reporters". Yahoo. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  60. ↑ Yim, Hyunsu (2023-09-27). "South Korea opposition leader avoids jail after court rejects warrant". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  61. ↑ Han-joo, Kim (2024-01-02). "(LEAD) Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung attacked during visit to Busan". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  62. ↑ "South Korea opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed". The Guardian. 1 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  63. ↑ Oh, Soo-hee; Park, Gyeong-jun; Han, Joo-hong; Geun-ho, Cha (2 January 2024). "이재명, 부산서 흉기 피습…의식있는 상태서 병원 이송" [Lee Jae-myung, attacked with a weapon in Busan...transported to hospital in conscious state] (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  64. ↑ "South Korea opposition chief stabbed, condition not life-threatening". The Jerusalem Post. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  65. ↑ "Attacked opposition leader Lee's surgery completed, progress closely monitored". Yonhap News English. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.

Other websites

[change | change source]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lee Jae-myung.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lee_Jae-myung&oldid=10374164"