Lee Jae Myung Says "My Mother Is the Source of All My Strength to Endure" (Comprehensive)

"Divisive politics comes from lack of competence"
"The greatest task is to win another term"
"They fear me because they have done wrong"

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 holding his final campaign rally on the 2nd at the Culture Square in Yeouido Park, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun Min

During a live broadcast on the Democratic Party's official YouTube channel, 'JjinmakYuse123,' Lee said, "I kept trying even though I didn't know what would happen, because my mother always said, 'The fourth son will do well.' The reason she believed this was because of a fortune teller. My mother forgot my birthday and went to ask a fortune teller, who told her that if she raised me well, I would bring prosperity."

Lee continued, "According to some accounts, people went to all five of the great mountains and prayed for my death, but I didn't die. When you perform a ritual to curse someone, if you don't target them precisely, the curse can rebound. Why didn't it affect me? Because no one knows my birthday."

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

He added, "I always say that politicians are workers, servants for the people, but I was standing on top of a car and didn't get wet in the rain. I felt sorry about that. I thought I should never forget that scene."

Lee also said, "Because the official campaign period was so short, I chose places I couldn't visit before, like 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 side as the main subject."

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

Regarding divisive politics, Lee said, "Dividing sides and taking one over the other is what people do when they lack competence. If you are loyal to the people and do a good job, that's enough."

He continued, "We don't need to do that. I believe the greatest task for a democratic government is to win another term."

Lee emphasized, "The way to do that is to improve people's lives. It's important that society becomes more just, that hope arises, and that people feel there is less corruption."

He added, "If you divide people into sides, improvement doesn't happen easily. All the energy is spent on fighting. Politicians may have sides, but the people do not."

Lee Jae Myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, is singing the national anthem at the final campaign rally held at the Culture Square in Yeouido Park, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun Min

Lee said, "The reason people are afraid of me is because they have done wrong. If you have nothing to lose, there is no reason to be afraid. For decades, due to an unbalanced growth strategy, certain companies, regions, and people in our country have enjoyed privileged status."

He continued, "If we want to continue growing, the unbalanced growth strategy can no longer work. Only if we are fair, transparent, and predictable can we compete internationally."

Lee added, "When society undergoes a major transformation toward becoming a normal society, some people instinctively feel they will lose something. Ordinary people, in fact, have nothing to worry about. On the contrary, won't they benefit?"