Hobbies: Baduk (Go), Reading, Fishing, Hiking, and Walking
First Politician to Surpass One Million Subscribers
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Kim Hye Kyung are greeting as they get into a car after finishing the national vote counting broadcast event held in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, in the early morning of the 4th, when their victory was confirmed. Photo by Kim Hyun Min
President Lee Jae Myung, who was elected in the 21st presidential election held on the 3rd, is a realist who grew up as a "dirt spoon" child laborer. He was deeply moved by the works of former President Kim Dae Jung and novelist Han Kang, and enjoys playing baduk (Go), reading, fishing, hiking, and walking.
According to materials released by the Democratic Party of Korea on the 4th, President Lee's MBTI (personality type) is ISTJ, described as a "realist who feels self-esteem from acting sincerely." His blood type is known to be B. With this, all five most recent presidents have had blood type B. The blood types of former presidents Lee Myung Bak, Park Geun Hye, Moon Jae In, and Yoon Suk Yeol, who served before President Lee, are also B. His birthday is December 22, making his zodiac sign Capricorn. President Lee was born in Andong, Gyeongbuk, as the fifth of seven siblings. His religion is Christianity, and his life motto is "Jininsadaecheonmyeong," meaning "Do everything a person can do and then await the will of heaven."
Among these facts, his family history has been marked by many hardships. President Lee's father left the family when Lee was in third grade, but they reunited in 1976, right after Lee graduated from elementary school. The family settled in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, after following his father from Andong. His father passed away early from stomach cancer in 1986. President Lee described his father as both a figure he loved and resented, and as someone he needed to surpass. His eldest brother, Jaeguk, who is ten years older, suffered an industrial accident while working at a construction site. His eldest sister, Jaesoon, who is eight years older, worked as a care worker. His second eldest brother, Jaeyoung, who is six years older, worked as a building security guard. His third eldest brother, Jaeseon, worked as a certified public accountant and passed away in 2017. His younger sister, Jaeok, who was seven years younger, passed away in 2014.
The thing he regrets most in life: 'Fighting with family'
President Lee experienced a prolonged conflict with his third eldest brother, Jaeseon, and his wife. During this period, controversies arose over issues such as "attempted forced hospitalization" and "verbal abuse toward his sister-in-law." During the presidential campaign, he addressed this by saying, "The problem began when my brother verbally abused my mother and I confronted him. It was due to my own lack of maturity. This is a deeply personal family matter." President Lee cited this incident as the thing he regrets most in his life.
The childhood of President Lee, who was unable to attend middle and high school due to financial difficulties and working in a factory, can be found in his elementary school records. His homeroom teacher at Samgye Elementary School in Andong, Gyeongbuk, where he was enrolled in the first grade, wrote, "He plays well with his classmates and is spirited" and "He is lively but stubborn." Democratic Party of Korea
The childhood of President Lee, who was unable to attend middle and high school due to financial difficulties and working in a factory, can be found in his elementary school records. His homeroom teacher at Samgye Elementary School in Andong, Gyeongbuk, where he was enrolled in the first grade, wrote, "He plays well with his classmates and is spirited" and "He is lively but stubborn." The records also note, "He responds well and is active in sports activities." Except for receiving an "Excellent" in physical education for the first semester, most of his grades were "Average." This indicates he was a mid-level student. His attendance rate was 77%.
He worked at a market while studying in his spare time and passed the qualification exam. In 1982, he entered the Department of Law at Chung-Ang University. Later, in 1986, he passed the 28th Judicial Examination. Democratic Party of Korea
As a child, President Lee worked in factories making baseball gloves and ski gloves. He suffered a lifelong disability after his left wrist joint was crushed in a press machine accident. This incident also led to his exemption from military service. While continuing to work at factories, he studied in his spare time and passed the qualification exam. In 1982, he entered the Department of Law at Chung-Ang University. Later, in 1986, he passed the 28th Judicial Examination. After completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute, President Lee opened a law office in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and three years later became a civic activist in Seongnam.
He met his wife, Kim Hye Kyung, in 1990 and married her the following year. When he proposed, he gave her the diary he had kept during his years as a child laborer, as a symbol of his difficult life. He said that when he visited her home, it was the first time he had ever seen a house with a piano. Kim Hye Kyung graduated from Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in piano. The couple has two sons, Dongho and Yunho.
His hobbies include playing baduk (Go), reading, fishing, hiking, and walking. The books he cites as most influential in his life are "The Oral Memoirs of Kim Dae Jung" and "The Boy Is Coming." The most memorable film he has seen is "Welcome to Dongmakgol." During the 20th presidential election in 2022, he quoted a line from this movie, "You have to feed them well," to emphasize his economic philosophy, which he calls "Meoksanism." The most recent drama that moved him to tears was the Netflix series "Poksak Sogassuda."
Meanwhile, President Lee is the first president to have previously served as governor of Gyeonggi Province. During the campaign, he visited Gyeonggi Province more than six times, making special efforts to appeal to his political base. He was the first Korean politician to surpass one million subscribers on his YouTube channel, earning the "Gold Button." As of the end of last month, his channel had 1.42 million subscribers. He has repeatedly said that if he had not entered politics, he would have become a travel YouTuber.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
