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South Korea’s recently elected President, Lee Jae-myung, brings to bureau a idiosyncratic past marked by hardship and an docket shaped by reform. Rising from a kid labourer to the nation’s highest post, Mr. Lee assumes enactment successful the aftermath of Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment, with the contiguous task of stabilising a ideology shaken by governmental situation and nationalist distrust.
Born successful 1963 successful a mediocre agrarian household successful Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee Jae-myung grew up arsenic 1 of 7 children successful a location with nary moving h2o oregon electricity. At the property of 13, helium abandoned schoolhouse to enactment afloat clip successful an concern works to enactment his family. Mr. Lee, unrelenting, studied connected his ain and passed equivalency tests to instrumentality to school. He yet earned a instrumentality grade from Chung-Ang University and passed the barroom exam successful 1986.
His aboriginal ineligible vocation was steeped successful nationalist service. Choosing to practise not successful Seoul’s firm offices but successful Seongnam’s humble instrumentality offices, helium gained section fame for defending labourers, tenants, and residents affected by municipality redevelopment. Those cases weren’t conscionable ineligible battles; they became the instauration of his governmental identity: anti-elitist, reformist, and unapologetically populist.
That ethos fuelled his introduction into politics. After a failed effort successful 2006, Mr. Lee was elected Mayor of Seongnam successful 2010. It was present that helium launched initiatives that would aboriginal specify his appeal: younker dividends, escaped schoolhouse uniforms, and a section infirmary for low-income residents. His confrontational attack to established interests often drew criticism, but besides admiration. A decennary aft entering section politics, helium had go a household name.
In 2018, Mr. Lee became Governor of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea’s astir populous and economically captious region. During his tenure, helium expanded lodging payment schemes and pushed for a aviator cosmopolitan basal income programme.
By now, his increasing nationalist illustration was matched by mounting scrutiny. He became entangled successful a drawstring of ineligible investigations related to onshore improvement contracts and allegations of maltreatment of powerfulness — charges helium has consistently denied and characterised arsenic politically motivated.
Political comeback
Mr. Lee archetypal ran for the presidency successful 2022, narrowly losing to blimpish campaigner Yoon Suk-yeol. Many believed his governmental aboriginal had reached its limit. But 2 years later, the precise antheral who defeated him would inadvertently make the opening for Mr. Lee’s return.
The constitutional situation that engulfed South Korea successful precocious 2024 acceptable the signifier for 1 of the astir melodramatic reversals successful the country’s governmental history. Then-President Yoon, successful a stunning and yet self-destructive move, invoked martial law to suppress what helium claimed were threats from “anti-state forces”. Instead of stabilising his administration, the declaration incited wide protests and an impeachment process that led to his removal from office.
It was against this backdrop that a drawback predetermination was called successful aboriginal 2025. Mr. Lee, by past the person of the absorption Democratic Party, ran a run presenting himself arsenic some a unfortunate of governmental injustice and a guarantor of law restoration. His speeches, often delivered down layers of information owed to a erstwhile assassination attempt, echoed with 1 theme: ne'er again.
With elector turnout exceeding 77%, South Koreans delivered a decisive verdict. Mr. Lee secured conscionable nether 50% of the vote, comfortably defeating blimpish rival Kim Moon-soo. It was a symbolic rejection of authoritarian overreach and a nationalist clasp of antiauthoritarian people correction.
As helium enters the Blue House, the enforcement bureau of the President, a big of challenges are awaiting him. Mr. Lee has to tackle rising younker unemployment, lodging woes, and stagnant wages. He has pledged a “fair and inclusive” maturation docket focused connected welfare, terms relief, and enactment for tiny businesses.
Internationally, helium maintains Seoul’s beardown ties with the U.S. portion pushing for renewed inter-Korean dialogue. Yet, his astir important trial whitethorn beryllium uniting a fractured electorate and governing a ideology astatine a turning point.
Published - June 08, 2025 01:44 americium IST
English (US) ·