"A Life Always Marked by More Crises Than Opportunities"
Overcoming Numerous Political Turning Points
Surmounting a Harsh Upbringing and Threats to His Life
A boy laborer who did not even know his exact birthday has been nominated as the presidential candidate of the largest party in the National Assembly. Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate (61), who once said he had "always lived a life with more crises than opportunities," has repeatedly overcome political crises and now stands on the path to a presidential bid.
Born as the fifth of seven children (five sons and two daughters) in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee does not know his exact date of birth because his birth was not registered in time. His mother simply chose a birthday after consulting a fortune teller. He began working in a factory at the age of 12, and during his work, his left arm was caught in a press, resulting in a level 6 physical disability. He passed both the high school and college equivalency exams and prepared for the bar exam at Chung-Ang University Law School, embarking on a legal career. After starting his practice as a lawyer in Seongnam, he entered politics by fighting against local corruption.
In his acceptance speech on the 27th, Lee introduced himself by saying, "On March 28, 2004, I decided to run for office to establish Seongnam Public Hospital." He ran for mayor of Seongnam as the Uri Party candidate in 2006 and challenged for positions such as mayor and National Assembly member in Seongnam, but after a series of defeats, he was elected mayor of Seongnam in 2010, marking the real beginning of his public service career.
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, paid respects at the tomb of former President Park Chung Hee at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on April 28, 2025. Photo by Yoon Dong Joo
He drew public attention in 2016 by calling for the resignation of former President Park Geun Hye in response to the state affairs manipulation scandal. He challenged in the Democratic Party presidential primary but finished third. He was then elected governor of Gyeonggi Province in the 2018 local elections. In 2021, he was selected as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate and ran in the general election, but lost by a margin of 0.73 percentage points. Subsequently, he ran in the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election and was elected. He was elected as party leader in two consecutive Democratic Party conventions, rising to become a mainstream figure within the party.
On January 2, 2024, he was nearly killed after being stabbed in the neck with a weapon during a visit to Gadeokdo Airport in Busan. Upon being discharged from the hospital, he stated, "I hope that, with this incident, the war-like politics of hatred and killing will disappear." Under his leadership, the Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the general election, securing 175 seats. When former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared the 12·3 martial law on December 3, 2024, Lee led the opposition party in passing a resolution to lift the martial law.
In his acceptance speech as presidential candidate, Lee said, "From this moment on, I, Lee Jae Myung, am the new name of hope you have given me," and added, "It is the name of a useful tool for the people and a loyal representative worker who will create the 'real Republic of Korea' that leads the world."
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