What Is the Connection Between Governor Kim Dongyeon and Former Prime Minister Lee Haechan?

The special relationship between Dongyeon Kim, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, and former Prime Minister Lee Haechan is drawing attention.

Their connection dates back to 2020. At that time, former Prime Minister Lee was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea under the Moon Jae-in administration and led the party to a landslide victory in the April general elections that year. Around the same period, Governor Kim had completed his tenure as the first Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs under the Moon administration and was living a private life outside of politics.

One day, ahead of the general elections, former Prime Minister Lee made a surprise offer to Governor Kim to serve as the Democratic Party’s election campaign chair. He also encouraged Kim to run for office in his own constituency (Sejong City). Offering to hand over one’s own constituency is a proposal that requires more than just ordinary trust.

Governor Kim, however, had not yet decided to enter politics and declined Lee’s offer.

It is known that former Prime Minister Lee was quite persistent at the time, even saying to Kim, “We are ‘Deoksu family,’” as he urged him to run for the seat.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is paying respects at the funeral hall of the late Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan on the 27th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

Former Prime Minister Lee was a graduate of Deoksu Middle School, while Governor Kim graduated from Deoksu Commercial High School. The two schools are separated by just a fence. Lee was known as a politician with a strong aptitude for numbers. In this context, he once remarked, “During my days at Deoksu Middle School, I studied abacus diligently with the intention of attending Deoksu Commercial High School, and that’s how I became good with numbers.”

This is said to be the reason why Lee looked after Kim, referring to him as part of the “Deoksu family.”

Governor Kim considered Lee to be like a mentor to him, and after paying his respects at Seoul National University Hospital, he met with reporters at the funeral hall and expressed his feelings, saying he was “heartbroken and deeply saddened.”