Lee Jae Myung Says "My Mother Is the Source of All My Strength"

"Memorable Speech in Suncheon Amid Heavy Rain"

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, said on the 2nd, "I have taken on many impossible challenges, and the source of all the strength that helped me endure them was my mother."

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is appealing for support during his final campaign rally held at the Culture Square in Yeouido Park, Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun Min

During a live broadcast titled "Jjinmakyuse123" on the official Democratic Party YouTube channel that day, Lee said, "I didn't know what I would become, but I kept trying because my mother always said, 'The fourth son will do well.' The basis for this was a fortune teller. My mother forgot my birthday, so she went to ask a fortune teller, who told her that if she raised me well, I would live a good life."

Lee also said, "According to some accounts, my mother visited all five of Korea's famous mountains, praying for 'Lee Jae Myung to die,' but I survived. When you hold a ritual to curse someone, if you don't target the person precisely, the curse can backfire. Why didn't it affect me? Because no one knows my birthday."

Lee recalled, "The most memorable moment of the presidential campaign was the speech I gave in Suncheon on a rainy day. Thousands of people were there without umbrellas or raincoats. It was a sign of their longing for change."

He continued, "I have always said that politicians are servants of the people, yet I was standing on top of a car and didn't get wet in the rain. I felt sorry about that. I thought to myself that I should never forget that scene."

Lee added, "Because the official campaign period was so short, I chose places I couldn't visit before, such as the Demilitarized Zone, the east coast, and northern Gyeongbuk, and traveled around without a microphone. The concept of 'listening' was not about making one-sided claims, but about recognizing the other person as the main subject."