Lee Jae Myung

Lee Jae Myung, born on December eighth, nineteen sixty-three, is a prominent South Korean lawyer and politician currently serving as the fourteenth president of South Korea since two thousand twenty-five. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), he previously held the position of party leader while representing the National Assembly for Gyeyang B from two thousand twenty-two to two thousand twenty-five.

Hailing from a humble background in Andong, Lee's early life was marked by hardship. He began working in a factory in Seongnam at a young age, where an accident left him disabled, preventing him from attending middle school. Despite these challenges, he earned his middle and high school equivalency diplomas and graduated from Chung-Ang University with a law degree in nineteen eighty-six. As a dedicated human rights and labor lawyer, he collaborated with Minbyun to advocate for the establishment of a new hospital in Seongnam.

Lee's political career commenced in two thousand five, although his initial attempts at election were unsuccessful. He achieved a significant milestone in two thousand ten when he was elected mayor of Seongnam, a position he held until two thousand eighteen, after being re-elected in two thousand fourteen. In two thousand seventeen, he sought the DPK's presidential nomination but was defeated by Moon Jae-in. Following his resignation as mayor, he successfully ran for governor of Gyeonggi Province, serving from two thousand eighteen to two thousand twenty-one.

In two thousand twenty-two, Lee secured his party's presidential nomination but narrowly lost the general election to Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party (PPP). His resilience was evident when he survived an assassination attempt in January two thousand twenty-four. Later that year, he faced legal challenges, being convicted under the Public Official Election Act for denying a connection to a former executive during his presidential campaign. During the martial law crisis in two thousand twenty-four, Lee gained international attention by climbing over the National Assembly building fence and livestreaming the event, which ultimately led to the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol. Following the removal of Yoon from office by the Constitutional Court of Korea, Lee launched a third presidential bid in two thousand twenty-five, winning the DPK nomination and defeating PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo in the presidential election.