Lee Jae Myung grew up facing significant challenges, having been a child worker with deformities in his arm.
He even attempted suicide at one point.
Despite these hardships, he managed to complete college, endure violent acts against him, and emerge as a deeply polarizing figure in politics, grappling with various criminal accusations.
His tumultuous journey has led him to become South Korea’s new president, taking over from conservative leader Yoon Sook Yeol, who was removed following the extreme enforcement of martial law.
There are mixed reactions to Lee’s election—some are hopeful, while others fear what his leadership might bring.
Supporters believe he’s capable of tackling the severe economic inequality and corruption plaguing the nation. Yet, critics are concerned that he might crack down on political dissent and expand his influence over the local sector.
As Lee begins his five-year presidency, the outlook remains uncertain.
Poverty in Childhood
After finishing primary school, Lee entered the workforce, laboring in various factories in Seongnam since his family couldn’t afford his secondary education.
While working at a factory producing baseball gloves, he severely injured his left arm in a machinery accident, which caused lasting damage.
Lee once reflected on experiencing bullying at work and the awkwardness he felt when encountering a girl while helping his father collect garbage in the local market.
In moments of despair, he attempted to take his own life twice but survived both attempts.
Eventually, he found hope and went on to study at Jeonggan University in Seoul on a full scholarship, later becoming a human rights attorney.
In a memoir from 2017, he wrote, “Hope and trials come hand in hand. Trials aren’t here to break us but to test the sincerity of our hopes.”
Liberal Firebrand
Transitioning into politics, Lee became the mayor and later the governor of Gyeonggi Province.
He gained prominence in 2016 with a passionate street speech criticizing Park Geun-hye, the conservative president embroiled in a corruption scandal.
“Let’s take [her] into our hands and leave it to history,” he pronounced during a rally in December 2016.
Since then, many of his comments have polarized opinions among South Koreans.
Lee harshly criticized the conservative establishment, labeling it a “fake conservative” structure driven by greed.
He also opposed South Korea’s US missile defense initiative, deeming it a source of tension and referencing historical grievances related to Japan’s colonization of Korea.
His proposal for a universal basic income has led some to label him a populist.
Although he faced a competitive presidential race in 2022, he ultimately lost to Yoon.
In 2024, he was attacked by an assailant who expressed a desire to eliminate him before he could assume the presidency.
Foreign Policy Challenges
Lee has not made particularly controversial statements regarding foreign policy lately, opting instead for practical diplomacy.
He has framed the South Korea-US partnership as foundational to the country’s foreign policy and underscored the need for security collaboration with both Washington and Tokyo.
“As for Lee’s past words, I can’t tell if they were just politically motivated or reflected his true beliefs,” commented Shin Yul, a political professor at Myongji University in Seoul.
Important issues he will confront include the trade fallout from President Trump’s “America First” stance and North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities.
Experts suggest that South Korea’s ability to maneuver diplomatically on these fronts might be quite limited.
Pike Wuil, a professor at Yongpay University in Seoul, noted that interactions with the US under Trump tend to be overwhelmingly challenging for South Korean leaders.
He commented that advisors in Lee’s camp are aware that North Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear arsenal willingly.
Legal Troubles
As he takes office, Lee’s legal troubles loom large.
Currently, he faces multiple charges ranging from corruption to other allegations, some of which nearly jeopardized his presidential ambitions.
In March, Lee celebrated when the Seoul High Court overturned a suspended sentence linked to election law violations during the 2022 race. However, his mood shifted when the Supreme Court reversed this decision, citing possible guilt and sending the case back to the High Court.
If found guilty, he could have been banned from running for president.
Other pending cases relate to his alleged involvement in a questionable development project, claims of financial misconduct, and pressuring witnesses to lie.
Lee’s ongoing legal issues might be postponed as the South Korean constitution generally prevents a sitting president from facing most criminal charges.
Nevertheless, his opponents are wary of this protection, as legal ambiguities exist about whether a president can be tried for crimes committed before taking office.
Lee’s Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, is advocating for changes in the Criminal Procedure Code to pause ongoing trials of sitting presidents until their term ends, a move that has been met with strong backlash from conservatives.
National Divide
During the election, Lee pledged not to seek revenge against conservatives, yet he has also proposed a comprehensive investigation into Yoon and his associates regarding uprising allegations.
His adversaries fear these investigations could be used to undermine Yoon’s allies and potentially further complicate his criminal cases.
Yoon’s extreme measures, like declaring martial law, have exacerbated social divides.
By implementing martial law, Yoon depicted Lee’s party as a threat to the state, influenced by North Korean and Chinese agendas.
He further fueled baseless claims of election fraud, suggesting that angry supporters flood the streets to protest alleged wrongdoing.
Both anti-Yoon activists and ordinary citizens have mobilized in recent weeks to demand his immediate resignation.
With the liberals in command of Congress, Lee now has a more favorable landscape to push forward his policy initiatives.
However, conservatives are deeply concerned that Lee and his party will wield unchecked power, allowing them to advance legislation previously obstructed by the Yoon administration, including laws aimed at enhancing the rights of union members and protecting farmers from volatile rice market conditions.
