A Life Shaped by Struggle
Lee Jae-myung, the newly nominated presidential candidate for South Korea’s Democratic Party (DP), is set to make an incredible political comeback just weeks before the nation’s next presidential election on June 3. Born poor in the southeastern city of Andong in 1964, Lee spent his early life struggling. His mother was a cleaner and market vendor, and Lee, as a child laborer in factories, assisted his family in staying alive. Through all these difficult times, Lee struggled on, passing his exams while working and eventually graduating with a law degree from Chung-Ang University. His life is a classic underdog story, one that he has experienced throughout his entire political life.
A Shift in Political Strategy
Contrary to his previous years of identifying with South Korea’s historical pro-labour support, Lee has in recent times embraced a more centre and right-wing leaning to resonate with a wider voter base. Famous for his tough-talking demeanor as the mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee has mellowed, now positioning himself as a “pragmatic” leader committed to promoting economic growth. This political transition is designed to gain support from conservative and center-right factions and broaden his support beyond his old left-wing constituency.
Leadership and Popular Popularity
The leadership of Lee in the Democratic Party has expanded dramatically since losing the 2022 presidential race by a razor-thin margin of 0.73 percentage points to incumbent President Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee’s political power is now more formidable than ever, highlighted by his leadership role in resisting Yoon’s martial law move in the National Assembly. This moment of leadership served to further cement Lee’s reputation as a protector of democracy and increased his position within the party even further.
