Lee Jae-myung
(
Hangul
:
李在明
; born 22 December 1964) is a South Korean politician and lawyer. He has been a member of the
National Assembly
since 2022. In August 2022, he was elected
Leader of the Democratic Party
.
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
.
[1]
In July 2021, Lee announced his candidacy for
President of South Korea
in the
2022 election
.
[2]
He was seen as the
front-runner
for the presidency, leading in many polls until late 2021.
[3]
He lost the election to
conservative
former
prosecutor
Yoon Suk-yeol
by a small amount of votes in March 2022.
[4]
Lee was born on 22 December 1964 in
Andong
, the fifth of seven children.
[5]
He was raised in
poverty
.
[6]
As a child, he worked at a rubber factory illegally as he was not old enough to work.
[6]
He hurt his finger during a work accident.
[6]
In a second workplace injury, an industrial press crushed his wrist joint. The injury was untreated and caused a disability in his arm.
[7]
[8]
He is registered as a disabled person.
[9]
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.
As mayor of
Seongnam
, he was known for creating the city's social welfare program.
[10]
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.
[11]
[12]
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
.
[13]
Lee was also known for banning
dog meat
and to shut down dog slaughtering facilities in Moran Market.
[14]
[15]
In 2016, Lee signed an agreement with shop owners that ended the display and slaughter of live dogs at the market.
[16]
After losing his first presidential campaign, Lee ran for Governor of
Gyeonggi Province
.
[17]
Lee became known for his response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
as governor.
[18]
Lee announced a special order for all foreigners working in Gyeonggi Province to be tested for
COVID-19
.
[19]
[20]
Seoul announced similar policies but changed them to recommendation after facing criticism.
[21]
[22]
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
.
[23]
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
.
[24]
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
.
[25]
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
.
[26]
[27]
Lee is part of the progressive wing in the Democratic Party.
[28]
[29]
Lee declared his candidacy in the
2022 presidential election
in July 2021.
[30]
Lee became the nominee of the Democratic Party of Korea on 10 October 2021.
[31]
[32]
Lee won a majority of the votes in the primary and made it directly to the presidential election without a runoff.
[33]
In the general election, Lee lost to
Yoon Suk Yeol
of the
People Power Party
, 47.8% to 48.6%.
[34]
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.
[35]
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.
[36]
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.
[37]
On that day, he was given an arrest warrant, the first time an opposition leader was arrested since the country's democratic transition.
[38]
[39]
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.
[40]
Lee was released after the Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrant on 27 September 2023.
[41]
On 2 January 2024, Lee was
stabbed
in the neck during a visit to
Busan
.
[42]
Lee suffered a "one-centimetre wound on his neck" with minor bleeding.
[43]
Lee was hospitalized at
Pusan National University
Hospital.
[44]
He was then transferred to
Seoul National University Hospital
with "non life-threatening" injuries.
[45]
Lee had emergency surgery later in the day and was in recovery under critical condition hours later.
[46]
- ↑
"Gov. Lee, chief prosecutor in close race in presidential hopefuls poll"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. 2021-01-13
. Retrieved
2021-01-13
.
- ↑
"Poll: Fmr. PM Lee Nak-yon Leading Potential Contenders for 2022 Presidential Race"
.
world.kbs.co.kr
. Retrieved
2020-04-30
.
- ↑
"(LEAD) Gyeonggi governor launches presidential bid, vowing to reduce inequality"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. Retrieved
2021-07-01
.
- ↑
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
.
- ↑
"
"固執 세고 成績 '미미'" 國民學校 成績表 公開한 李在明"
.
中央日報
(in Korean). 5 May 2021
. Retrieved
22 October
2021
.
- ↑
6.0
6.1
6.2
"[파워엘리트] 李在明, 校服 부럽던 '少年工'에서 '大選走者'까지"
.
raythep.mk.co.kr/
(in Korean). 11 January 2021
. Retrieved
22 October
2021
.
- ↑
最終修正 2015.05.15. 16:24:38, 翰林國際大學院大學校 政治經營硏究所 | 記事入力 2015 05 13 13:49:08 (13 May 2015).
"李在明 "大選 候補? 스피커가 커져 좋다""
.
pressian.com
(in Korean)
. Retrieved
22 October
2021
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ↑
"閔) 李在明 候補, 兵役 問題 公開 檢證 瑕疵"
.
굿타임즈
(in Korean). 29 May 2010
. Retrieved
22 October
2021
.
- ↑
변덕호 記者 (16 February 2022).
"李在明 "나도 登錄 障礙人...大統領이 直接 障礙政策 챙기겠다" ? 每日經濟"
. Mk.co.kr
. Retrieved
2022-07-19
.
- ↑
"李在明標 福祉政策 빛났다...'공공서비스 對象' 받아 ? 아시아經濟"
. 11 November 2016
. Retrieved
11 November
2016
.
- ↑
"京畿 城南市 모라토리엄 攻防의 眞實"
.
Chosun
(in Korean). 18 March 2014
. Retrieved
5 May
2021
.
- ↑
"애初에 存在하지 않았던 '城南 모라토리엄' (2)"
.
韓國經濟
(in Korean)
. Retrieved
5 May
2021
.
- ↑
"Lee Jae-myung, a 'bulldozing public administrator' fearless of conflicts"
. 12 September 2021.
- ↑
"牡丹市場에서 개고기 사라진다 ? 다음뉴스"
. 13 December 2016
. Retrieved
13 December
2016
.
- ↑
"Actress admits to affair with Lee Jae-myung"
.
Korea JoongAng Daily
. 10 June 2018
. Retrieved
27 November
2018
.
- ↑
"Mature actress defends her troubled mother"
. 11 June 2018
. Retrieved
27 November
2018
.
- ↑
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
.
- ↑
"Gov. Lee, chief prosecutor in close race in presidential hopefuls poll"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. 13 January 2021
. Retrieved
13 January
2021
.
- ↑
"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
.
- ↑
"Foreign residents call mandatory COVID-19 testing 'discrimination'
"
.
The Korea Times
. 17 March 2021
. Retrieved
22 March
2021
.
- ↑
"[News Focus] Foreign workers still face COVID-19 tests outside Seoul"
.
The Korea Herald
. 22 March 2021
. Retrieved
22 March
2021
.
- ↑
"京畿道, 外國人 코로나19 全數檢査했더니...329명 確診"
.
聯合뉴스TV
(in Korean). 24 March 2021
. Retrieved
5 May
2021
.
- ↑
Lee, Haye-ah (8 May 2022).
"(LEAD) Lee Jae-myung declares bid for parliamentary seat in Incheon"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. Retrieved
8 May
2022
.
- ↑
Lee, Minji (28 August 2022).
"(2nd LD) Ex-presidential candidate Lee elected DP's new leader"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. Retrieved
5 September
2022
.
- ↑
"South Korea's liberal opposition leader stabbed in the neck by knife-wielding man"
. MSN
. Retrieved
2 January
2024
.
- ↑
"Split voting could boost fate of People's Party"
.
Korea JoongAng Daily
. 12 April 2016
. Retrieved
24 April
2016
.
- ↑
"李在明 名實相符 大權走者 '빅3'... 國民의黨 支持率↓-리얼미터"
. 8 December 2016
. Retrieved
8 December
2016
.
- ↑
"Lee Jae-myung: Populist, Left-wing, Unapologetic"
.
KOREA EXPOSE
. 23 February 2017
. Retrieved
29 April
2020
.
- ↑
'李在明 現象', 進步政治가 마땅히 채웠어야 할 空白의 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
.
- ↑
"Gyeonggi governor vows to tackle inequality, unfairness"
. 1 July 2021.
- ↑
Chung, Esther (10 October 2021).
"Gov. Lee Jae-myung elected as DP's presidential candidate"
.
Korea JoongAng Daily
. Retrieved
10 October
2021
.
- ↑
Kim, Jaewon (10 October 2021).
"Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea ruling party's presidential primary"
.
Nikkei Asia
.
Nikkei, Inc.
Retrieved
10 October
2021
.
- ↑
"[速報] 李在明 民主黨 大選候補 確定...累積 得票率 50.29%"
. 10 October 2021.
- ↑
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
.
- ↑
"DP's Lee Jae-myung questioned as suspect for first time"
.
Korea joongang daily
. 10 January 2023.
- ↑
Joh, Yun-yeong; Oh, Yeon-seo.
"Top opposition leader Lee avoids arrest in unexpectedly close vote"
.
The Hankyoreh
. Retrieved
21 September
2023
.
- ↑
Lee, Michael (21 September 2023).
"National Assembly clears way for DP leader's arrest"
.
Korea JoongAng Daily
. Retrieved
21 September
2023
.
- ↑
Hwang, Seok-Joo (2023-09-21).
"Justice minister on opposition leader's arrest warrant"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. Retrieved
2023-09-21
.
- ↑
"National Assembly clears way for DP leader's arrest"
.
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
. 2023-09-21
. Retrieved
2023-09-21
.
- ↑
"South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in neck as he speaks to reporters"
. Yahoo
. Retrieved
2 January
2024
.
- ↑
Yim, Hyunsu (2023-09-27).
"South Korea opposition leader avoids jail after court rejects warrant"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
2023-09-28
.
- ↑
Han-joo, Kim (2024-01-02).
"(LEAD) Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung attacked during visit to Busan"
.
Yonhap News Agency
. Retrieved
2024-01-02
.
- ↑
"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
.
- ↑
Oh, Soo-hee; Park, Gyeong-jun; Han, Joo-hong; Geun-ho, Cha (2 January 2024).
"李在明, 釜山서 凶器 被襲…意識있는 狀態서 病院 移送"
[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
.
- ↑
"South Korea opposition chief stabbed, condition not life-threatening"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. 2024-01-02
. Retrieved
2024-01-02
.
- ↑
"Attacked opposition leader Lee's surgery completed, progress closely monitored"
. Yonhap News English. 2 January 2024
. Retrieved
2 January
2024
.