Lee Jae Myung | |
|---|---|
 Lee in 2025 | |
| 14thPresident of South Korea | |
| Assumed office 4 June 2025 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by |
|
| Leader of the Democratic Party | |
| In office 28 August 2022 – 9 April 2025[a] | |
| Preceded by | Woo Sang-ho |
| Succeeded by |
|
| Member of theNational Assembly forGyeyang B | |
| In office 2 June 2022 – 4 June 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Song Young-gil |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Governor of Gyeonggi Province | |
| In office 1 July 2018 – 25 October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Nam Kyung-pil |
| Succeeded by |
|
| Mayor ofSeongnam | |
| In office 1 July 2010 – 15 March 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Lee Dae-yup |
| Succeeded by | Eun Su-mi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. (1963-12-08)8 December 1963 (age 61)[b] Andong, South Korea |
| Political party | Democratic (since 2014) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이재명 |
| Hanja | 李在明 [1] |
| RR | I Jaemyeong |
| MR | I Chaemyŏng |
| IPA | [i.dʑɛ.mjʌŋ] |
Lee Jae Myung on fixing South Korea's economy following the2024 martial law crisis Recorded 13 January 2025 | |
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Personal life Career President of South Korea | ||
Lee Jae Myung[c] (Korean:이재명;pronounced[i.dʑɛ.mjʌŋ]; bornc. 8 December 1963)[b] is a South Korean politician and lawyer who has served as the 14thpresident of South Korea since 2025. A member of theDemocratic Party of Korea (DPK), he held office as the party's leader from 2022 to 2025 and representedGyeyang B in theNational Assembly from 2022 to 2025. Lee previously served asGovernor of Gyeonggi Province from 2018 to 2021.
Lee was born into a poor family inAndong. After elementary school, he went to work at a factory inSeongnam, where an accident left him disabled. He earned middle and high school equivalency diplomas and graduated fromChung-Ang University with a law degree in 1986. As a human rights and labor lawyer, Lee worked withMinbyun to organize efforts advocating for opening a new hospital inSeongnam.
Lee entered politics in 2005 and ran in several elections without success. He was elected mayor of Seongnam in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. In 2017, he sought the DPK's presidential nomination but lost toMoon Jae-in. Lee resigned as mayor in 2018 to run for governor of Gyeonggi Province, won that race, and served until 2021. In 2022, he won his party's presidential nomination and narrowly lost the general election toYoon Suk Yeol of thePeople Power Party (PPP).
Lee survived anassassination attempt in January 2024. In November, he was convicted under the Public Official Election Act for falsely denying a connection to Kim Moon-ki, a former Seongnam Development Corporation executive, during his 2022 presidential campaign. During the2024 martial law crisis, Lee drew international attention by climbing over the National Assembly building fence and livestreaming the event. He then helped lead theimpeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol. After theConstitutional Court of Korea removed Yoon from office, Lee launched a third presidential bid in2025, won the DPK nomination, and defeated the PPP candidateKim Moon-soo in the presidential election.
Lee was born inAndong, South Korea as the fifth of seven children. His birth likely occurred around 8 December 1963 (the 22nd or 23rd day of the 10th month in theKorean lunisolar calendar), but because his father registered it late, his official birth date was recorded as 22 December 1964.[4][5]
Lee grew up in poverty and often missed social activities because his family lacked the funds, relying on school faculty's support to join field trips and community events. He cited fishing along the creek with friends as one of his favorite pastimes.[6]
His first-grade report card described him as stubborn, noted that his grades were average, and said he got along well with his classmates.[7] After elementary school – when middle and high school weren't publicly funded – his father's gambling losses had exhausted his family's savings, and they left Andong to find work.[8]
Lee's family moved toSeongnam, aplanned industrial city created under PresidentPark Chung Hee to move industry out ofSeoul. Seongnam was largely populated by poor people who were forced to relocate there by the government.
Like other children from poor families, Lee worked in a handmade necklace factory instead of attending middle school. When the necklace factory went bankrupt, he found work at Dongma Rubber. Because he was underage, he worked under various aliases. While working there, Lee injured his finger.[6]
After the first accident, Lee left Dongma Rubber and worked for Daeyang Industry. There, an industrial press crushed his wrist joint in a second injury. The wound went untreated and resulted in a permanent arm disability. He was later exempted frommilitary service and is officially registered as a disabled person.[9][10][11]
While working at Daeyang Industry, Lee saw students in school uniform and decided to pursue higher education. He enrolled in private classes to prepare for equivalency exams. In 1978, he passed the middle school equivalency exam and earned his middle school diploma.[12] In 1981, he passed the high school equivalency exam and obtained his high school diploma.[13]
Lee has stated his own experience with severe poverty inspired his political philosophy of "suppressing the strong, helping the weak" (억강부약;抑強扶弱;Eokgang Buyak), which seeks to curb the privileges and excesses of the powerful and support society's poorest members.[14][15]
Based on his entrance examination scores, Lee was accepted intoChung-Ang University's College of Law on a scholarship.[6] In 1986, upon graduating from college, he passed the bar exam and entered theJudicial Research and Training Institute for two years in order to join the bar. Lee opposed the authoritarian regime ofChun Doo-hwan.[16] Lee originally intended to become a judge orprosecutor for the prestige and pay, but he was inspired by a lecture fromRoh Moo-hyun to become a human rights and labour lawyer, like Roh andMoon Jae-in.[17] He set up his practice in Seongnam.[18]
After opening his own lawyer's office, Lee organized for labour and human rights with the lawyers' organizationMinbyun, working with the heads of labour counselling centers inIncheon andGwangju. In 1995, he started a civic movement as a founding member of the 'Seongnam Citizens' Association'. He gained fame as a lawyer and social activist in relation to the "Park View" preferential sale case, where an investigation suggested corruption in the awarding of building permits and preferential sales of property inBundang to government officials.[6][19][20][21]
In the early 2000s, two general hospitals in Seongnam closed, and Lee started a movement to build a new municipal hospital. The city council, which was then controlled by theGrand National Party, rejected the residents' initiative ordinance in just 47 seconds. Lee's group protested the council, and Lee was wanted for obstructing official duties of a public official. Afterwards, he realized that he could not change society through social movements, and he decided to enter politics.[22]
On 23 August 2005, Lee joined the then-rulingUri Party, a predecessor of the Democratic Party of Korea, and declared his candidacy for mayor of Seongnam. He ran as a candidate in thelocal elections in 2006, but was defeated by 23.75% of the vote due to poor public opinion about the Uri Party andRoh administration at the time.[14] He graduated fromKyungwon University [ko], later part ofGachon University, with aMaster of Public Administration degree in 2005.[23]
In the2007 presidential election, Lee served as the senior deputy chief of the Office of the Presidential CandidateChung Dong-young of theGrand Unified Democratic New Party. In the2008 general election, he applied for a nomination in the constituency ofSeongnam Jungwon A, but was defeated by Cho Sung-jun in the primary election, and was nominated in theSeongnam Bundang A constituency. However, Lee suffered from another defeat with 33% of the votes under difficult circumstances, as the constituency was a traditional stronghold of an opposing party who had just won the Presidential election underLee Myung-bak.
After the 2008 election, Lee served as the Democratic Party's deputy spokesperson at the request of the Democratic Party's leaderChung Sye-kyun.
He ran for the mayoralty ofSeongnam in the2010 South Korean local elections under theDemocratic Party, and won with 51.16% of the vote against Hwang Jun-gi.
In his inaugural speech as the 19th mayor of Seongnam, he stated "It will not be easy to take a new step in Seongnam. If it's hard, let's take a break. Let's take care of each other's shoulders and smile, step by step. We can do it. Let's emphasize Seongnam, where citizens are the leaders, citizens are happy, and our Seongnam, where opportunities are equal." He started by moving the mayor's office to a narrower space after allowing the former mayor's office, which caused controversy over its luxury, to become a book cafe.[24]
He also declared a moratorium on spending and debt repayment in his first press conference, due to the city being in large debt (though the debt has never been actively collected on). The first of this was the 520 billion won owed to theMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport over the construction of thePangyo project; he thereafter attempted to renegotiate the debt owed, and paid it off with a large amountmunicipal bonds.[25][26] He also attracted attention due to his active use of social media, such asTwitter andFacebook, often expressing his views on national issues bluntly on the two services. A particular stunt involving him installingCCTV in the mayoral office gained fame, with him claiming that "many people were bringing in money envelopes."[24]
He also restructured and focused on the welfare policy of the city. In particular focus was funding of the Seongnam Medical Center, which he began to strengthen. He also promoted free school uniforms for students.[24] Along with that, he established a "youth dividend" system, acting as a form ofUniversal Basic Income for young citizens.[27]
He won re-election in the2014 South Korean local elections, winning 55.1% of the vote.
Lee is noted for his decision to bandog meat and to shut down dog slaughtering facilities in Moran Market. The dog slaughtering facilities had long been a subject of heated debate over their morality, the rights of animals, and their environmental impact.[28][29] In 2016, Lee, an animal rights advocate, signed an agreement with shop owners that prohibited the display and slaughter of live dogs at the market. The city helped business owners transition to other businesses, but did not offer any direct compensation for their closure.[30]
Lee heavily criticized the response ofPark Geun-hye to theSinking of MV Sewol. He also held an 11-day fast in response to plans by Park to reorganize local government's fiscal responsibilities, which would've severely hurt Buddhist groups across the country, including those in Seongnam.[24] By the time he had finished his term as mayor of the city, a survey showcased he had implemented 270 of 287 total promises, including the construction and expansion of the Seongnam Medical Center, a youth dividend policy, and the free student uniform program.[6] In total, he had a 94.1% promise fulfillment rate.[24]
Several of the policies introduced by Lee, such as the youth dividend, would go on to become his premier framework in national politics.
Following his defeat for the presidential nomination, Lee ran for Governor ofGyeonggi Province, which encompasses much of theSeoul Capital Area and has a population of over 13 million, in the2018 local elections.[31] During the 2018 gubernatorial election, actressKim Boo-sun [ko] reported that she had an affair with Lee in 2007–2009.[32] He won the Democratic Party primary for the governorship over close Moon Jae-in allyJeon Hae-cheol, capturing about 60% of the vote and being selected to run against incumbent governorNam Kyung-pil.[33] Despite general expectations of a close race, Lee won against Nam by over 20%, managing to bring in about 56% of the vote. He was the first liberal Governor of Gyeonggi sinceLim Chang-yeol [ko] twenty years earlier.
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Lee received acclaim for his response to theCOVID-19 pandemic as governor.[34]
In March 2020, when the nation's first COVID-19 wave took place, following an infection cluster among followers of theShincheonji Church of Jesus, Lee visited the residence of the organization's founder,Lee Man-hee, in Gyeonggi Province. The founder had refused to be tested for COVID-19 or to share church event attendance records for contact tracing. Lee warned the founder of the potential legal and administrative actions, and secured the founder's cooperation.[27] He responded to critics of his COVID-19 response in the Protestant sects by invoking his own religious views, rhetorically asking, "Am I a fake Protestant?!"[35][36]
Lee also announced a special order for all foreigners working in Gyeonggi Province to be tested for COVID-19.[37][38] Seoul announced similar policies but changed them to recommendation after facing criticism. Lee's special order resulted in finding 329 new positive cases.[39][40]
In February 2021, a year after the first Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting was held to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, it was revealed that Lee attended only three meetings, while the average number of meetings attended by provincial and municipal leaders was 68.5.[41] In response, Lee said in April 2021 that he used his time effectively in addressing more critical issues.Chung Sye-kyun publicly shared his frustration that Lee would not have made such a statement if he was well aware of the government's efforts in containing the virus and vaccinating the public.[42][43]
Throughout 2021, Lee was partially at odds with the central government over his plan to provide COVID-19 disaster relief funds to all residents of Gyeonggi Province.[44][45]
Lee frequently stated in office, "I have kept an average of 95 percent of my campaign promises while serving the public", and "Even if I might have to experience a political loss, I believe in the collective intelligence of the public, and push forward on the right things in order to bring about results. That is my style".[27] He resigned as governor to focus on his bid for the presidency on 25 October 2021.[46]
Following his narrow loss in the presidential election the same year, on 7 May 2022, Lee declared his candidacy in theJune 2022 South Korean by-elections running forIncheonGyeyang District B vacant seat in theNational Assembly.[47] Lee won the seat in the elections on 1 June 2022. Afterwards, he was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea on 28 August.[48]
On 2 January 2024, Lee was stabbed in the left side of his neck while holding a question and answer session with reporters after touring the construction site of aplanned new airport located onGadeokdo inBusan.[49][50][51] Though Lee remained conscious, he continued bleeding and was transferred to a hospital approximately 20 minutes later.[49] The assailant, who was wearing a "I'm Lee Jae Myung" paper crown,[52][51] lunged at Lee after asking for his autograph.[53][49][51] The assailant was arrested at the scene.[49][51] The assailant was identified as a man named Kim Jin-sung and was reported to have been born in 1957.[54][49]
Though the neck wound was not considered to be life-threatening, Lee's surgery took longer than expected, with damage being inflicted on hisjugular vein that led to additional bleeding.[54][53] The laceration in his neck which resulted from the knife wound was determined to be approximately 1 centimetre.[54] While in custody, the assailant confessed to Busan Metropolitan Police that he carried out the attack with the intention of killing Lee.[54]
Lee gained international attention in 2024 when, after PresidentYoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and attempted to stop theNational Assembly from convening using the military, he continued to go to the Assembly building anyway. Lee started a livestream on hisYouTube channel, recording himself in a car driving to the National Assembly and climbing the National Assembly building fence to bypass the military personnel. He called on people to gather in front of the Assembly building, and to "...keep protesting". TheDemocratic Party alleged that an arrest team had been sent to him,Han Dong-hoon, andWoo Won-shik, attempting to bring all three into custody.[55][56][57] This was confirmed from testimony byNational Intelligence Service (NIS) Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, who stated Yoon wanted to "use this chance to arrest [opposition leaders] and wipe them out."[58][59][60]
He stated that he thought the martial law declaration was, initially, adeepfake. He afterwards led the charge to impeach Yoon, with he himself frequently rallying against the President outside the Assembly building, claiming that Yoon committed treason. On impeachment, he stated that "Yoon will be impeached, if it's today, a month, or three months from now."[61][62][63] Yoon was ultimatelyimpeached by the National Assembly on 14 December.[64]
In March 2025, Lee was cleared of a previous accusation of violating election law by a South Korean appeals court,[65][66] but an appeal filed by the prosecutors to theSupreme Court of Korea overturned his acquittal on 1 May, returning it to the Seoul High Court. The Seoul High Court will be required to deliberate the case again and then refer it to the Supreme Court for a final decision.[67] The initial date of retrial was set at 15 May, but was later delayed to 18 June, which was after the election date.[68] On June 9, after Lee Jae Myung's election win, the Seoul High Court indefinitely delayed his retrial, on the basis that as a sitting president, he was exempt from prosecution except in the case of insurrection or treason.[69]
At the end of 2016,Park Geun-hye–Choi Soon-sil Gate broke. At a series ofprotests that took place across the country, Lee attracted national attention with his strong speeches, stating that "PresidentPark Geun-hye is no longer our president". He ranked second in various public opinion polls after Moon Jae-in in theDemocratic Party 2017 primary.[70] An official from the leadership of the DP stated that "I think Lee Jae Myung's support rate can rise by up to 20% because the support of the loyal Democratic Party voters is highly concentrated. There is also an expectation that he may use a similar strategy toRoh Moo-hyun to significantly shore up his support in just a few regions."[71] Lee was considered part of the progressive wing in the Democratic Party.[72]
However, as theprotests began to dim with the impeachment of the President and removal of her in favor ofHwang Kyo-ahn, Lee Jae Myung's approval rating, who was popular for his remarks on the scandal, also fell. In the end, Lee Jae Myung's first presidential election ended in him placing third in the primary, with 347,647 votes. He was second toAhn Hee-jung, who placed second with 353,631 votes, andMoon Jae-in, who won 936,419 votes and a majority. He would go on to defeatHong Joon-pyo,Ahn Cheol-soo,Yoo Seung-min, andSim Sang-jung to win the Presidency.[73]
Lee declared his bid in the2022 presidential election in July 2021 and emphasized policies that would ensure equality for people of all backgrounds in the nation, and heighten Korea's standing abroad as a nation that provides public goods for global communities. "We are situated in a time of a great transformation," Lee said in a televised address immediately following his nomination. "My first objective, if I am elected president, would be to help Korea take the lead in fighting climate change, the global pandemic and the ever-speedy technological revolution. My second objective would be to help this nation achieve economic growth during this time of great struggle. When it comes to policies to boost the people's welfare and well-being, there is no left or right; there is no ideological differences. I am ready to try anything and everything if it means the people can lead better livelihoods."[74]
Lee became the nominee of the Democratic Party of Korea on 10 October 2021.[8][75] Lee won a majority of the votes in the primary and made it directly to the presidential election without a runoff. In his acceptance speech, Lee expressed his ambition to create the new Republic of Korea through reform and practice.[76]
In the general election, Lee lost toYoon Suk Yeol of thePeople Power Party, 47.8% to 48.6%.[77]
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On 9 April 2025, five days after the 4 Aprilimpeachment of PresidentYoon Suk Yeol, Lee resigned as leader of theDemocratic Party.[78][79] He announced his third candidacy for the presidential election on 10 April.[80] On 27 April, Lee officially won the Democratic Party presidential primaries and became the party's official nominee for president.[81]
Among his campaign pledges was amending the Constitution to allow presidents to serve two four-year terms and introduce run-off voting.[82] On 3 June 2025, Lee won the presidential election with 49.42% of the votes.[83][84][85]
.jpg) Lee takes the presidential oath of office in the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly, 4 June 2025. | |
| Presidency of Lee Jae Myung 4 June 2025 – present | |
| Cabinet | Full list |
|---|---|
| Party | Democratic |
| Election | 2025 |
| Seat | Seoul |
 | |
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Lee was sworn in on 4 June 2025 at 11:00 KST.[86][87][88] The swearing-in ceremony, which also included Lee giving an inaugural address to the nation, was held in the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly.[89][86][88] Before being sworn in, Lee, in what was regarded to be his "first official schedule," took part in a "world of living together" tribute at theSeoul National Cemetery.[88][90]
In his first personal announcement as President of South Korea, Lee formally nominated Kim Min-seok as prime minister.[91] Opting to ensure continuity in state affairs, Lee turned down resignation offers from holdover Cabinet members from the previous South Korean government, with the exception of Justice MinisterPark Sung-jae.[92] As president, Lee is residing in theYongsan Presidential Office pending a complete relocation to the previous presidential residence atCheong Wa Dae.[93]
On 5 June, Lee withdrew nominations made by former acting presidentHan Duck-soo to theConstitutional Court.[94] He also ordered theMinistry of Oceans and Fisheries to transfer its headquarters toBusan, which had been part of his campaign pledges.[95] On 23 June 2025, Lee would nominate 10 ministers to his cabinet, including his defense, foreign affairs and unification ministers.[96] Once appointed, his defense minister nomineeAhn Gyu-back became the first civilian defense minister since 1961.[96][97]
On 3 July 2025, the South Korean National Assembly voted to approve of Kim Min-seok as Prime Minister in a 173–3 vote,[98] who was sworn in as Prime Minister on 7 July 2025.[99][100] The post of prime minister is the only cabinet-level position which requires National Assembly approval in South Korea.[98] On 13 July 2025, Lee appointed 12 vice ministers. One notable appointment wasHong So-young, who would become the first woman to serve as commissioner of theMilitary Manpower Administration since the administration was founded in 1970.[101]
On 15 August 2025, a public inauguration ceremony, dubbed as "People's Mandate Ceremony", was held atGwanghwamun Square in Seoul to commemorate the 80th anniversary ofLiberation ofKorean peninsula from Japan, more than two months after he was taken office. During the ceremony, he received appointment letters from 80 selected notable people.[102]
On 2 October 2025, Lee issued an apology for theadoption of Korean children overseas in the 1970s and 1980s through processes that involved abuse and fraud.[103] In October 2025, after far-right groups started holdinganti-Chinese rallies in response to a launch of visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups, Lee called for a crackdown on such protests.[104]
In June 2025, in order to tackle theKorea discount, the National Assembly twice amended the Commercial Act, which regulates public companies, so that company managers now havefiduciary duty toshareholders rather than just the companies alone. This meant a change of power from the families that dominate companies towards minority investors. The law also mandates electronic shareholder meetings and changes voting procedures.[105] In the same month, Lee's government introduced a cap at 600 million won on all housing-backed loans in theSeoul metropolitan area and other designated regulatory zones. It also introduced mandatory residency requirements as well as reduced maximum loan terms and blocked mortgages for those who own multiple houses in the designates areas.[106]
In July, the Lee cabinet approved a 15.2 trillion won budget allocation to give at least 150,000 won worth of cash-equivalent vouchers to all South Koreans, with those who cannot afford basic living expenses and those categorized as "near poor" given 400,000 won and 300,000 won respectively. It also gives an additional 100,000 won people in the bottom 90 percent of the income bracket.[107] In August, the National Assembly amended the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act to allow subcontracting firms' labor unions to make demands of client companies directly, restrict the ability of employers to seek damages for strike-related disruptions and increase the liability for executives who do not participate incollective bargaining.[108]
In August, Lee proposed a 728 trillion won budget for 2026, an increase of 8.1 percent from the previous year. The budgets increases research and development spending by 19.3 percent to 35.3 trillion won, including nearly tripling artificial intelligence funding to 10.1 trillion won, defense spending by 8.3 percent to 66.3 trillion won, and health, welfare and employment spending by 8 percent to 269.1 trillion won.[109]
Lee has focused on improving relations with China, which frayed relatively under his presdecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who prioiritized closer relations with the United States.[110] In October 2025, he hostedChinese leaderXi Jinping in South Korea; this was Xi's first visit to South Korea since he last visited in 2014.[111]
On 11 June 2025, Lee banned anti-North Korean activists from sending leaflets into the North by balloon. He also ordered themilitary to haltloudspeakerpropaganda broadcasts across the border with North Korea, South Korea even switched off shortwave radio broadcasts that had carried similar propaganda for over half a century in an attempt to improverelations.[112] North Korea responded by haltingtheir own propaganda loudspeakers towards the South just a few hours later.[113][114][115] Lee expressed gratitude for the North's reciprocation, remarking that the speed of their response had exceeded his expectations, and also expressed hope for an improvement in relations.[116]
However, these efforts by Lee were “not the work worthy of appreciation,” saidKim Yo Jong, who spoke for her brother,Kim Jong Un, in a statement. She went on to say that no matter what policy was adopted in Seoul or proposal was sent that they had zero interest in discussion with South Korea. These were the first official remarks on the new administration by the North Korean government. South Korea sought to downplay the significance of the statement by Kim Yo Jong, saying that the government would continue its efforts to promote reconciliation and cooperation. A South Korean government spokesman, Koo Byoung-sam, said that the remarks from the North “showed how high the wall of distrust has become inSouth-North Korean relations.”[117]
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Despite his critical statements regarding Japan in the past, Lee has generally focused on maintaining improved ties with Japan as president.[110] He visited Japan in August 2025 for his first presidential trip abroad, becoming the first South Korean president to pick Japan as their first destination for a bilateral summit since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1965.[118]
On 10 September 2025, Lee ordered the suspension of a development loan for bridge construction in the Philippines after reports showed it had been revived under political pressure despite earlier rejection over corruption risks.[119] In response, the PhilippineDepartment of Finance said that no such loan with South Korea existed.[120]
Lee endorses a strongerSouth Korea–Vietnam relations, receiving theGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of VietnamTô Lâm as his firststate guest during the presidency in 2025. Alongside pushing for further economic, political and defense cooperations between the two countries, Lee projects to ease and enhance conditions to attract more Vietnamesemigrant workers, especially with theLai Đại Hàn group. Lee is critical ofSouth Korean war crimes during the Vietnam War, even comparing them to theJapanese atrocitiesin Korea.[121] Lee has reportedly planned to publicly address the issue with Vietnam, however, the Vietnamese side privately turned down Lee's intention, citing its greater emphasis on future collaborations instead of talking about the painful past.[122][123] On the other hand, Lee also seeks for further Vietnamese participation to thepeace progress in theKorean Peninsular, probably refer to Vietnam'sgood relations with North Korea and its status being the host for theSecond Trump-Kim Summit.[124]
On 25 August 2025, Lee participated in a bilateral meeting with U.S. PresidentDonald Trump.[125] On 29 October 2025, Lee hosted Trump in South Korea, giving him a gold crown and a goldenGrand Order of Mugunghwa medal.[126]
In 2018 during the Gyeonggi gubernatorial election, Rep.Jeon Hae-cheol filed a complaint against the Twitter account @08_hkkim for publishing false information on elections. The police reported that they believed the account belonged to Lee's spouse. Prosecutors dropped the case, citing a lack of evidence.[127][128][129]
In July 2020, theSupreme Court found Lee not guilty of breaching campaign law during a television debate for Gyeonggi provincial governor.[130] In the debate, Lee denied that he had attempted to admit his brother to a psychiatric hospital. The Court and its lower courts determined that the allegation was true. However, deferring to freedom of expression during political campaigns, the Supreme Court said Lee did not "actively" distort the facts – and therefore did not breach campaign law – when he lied. Lee was represented by several lawyers including two former Supreme Court justices.[131][132][133]
Lee has been at the center of an investigation into corporate donations and favors during his mayoral administration of Seongnam since 2022. In response, the opposition has accused the government of trying to distract from their failures by launching an investigation against the leader of the opposition.
In January 2023, he was summoned to the prosecutor's office for questioning, marking the first time a politician had been questioned about a criminal case since the country's transition to democracy.[134] In February 2023, a motion for Lee's arrest by the prosecution was rejected by the National Assembly in an unexpectedly close vote, with 30 members from Lee's party voting in favour of the motion in a secret vote.[135]
In March 2023, Lee was indicted on bribery, corruption, breach of trust and conflict of interests charges. He was accused of colluding with a group of private property developers when he was mayor ofSeongnam, to help them make more than 800 billion won from the project, whilst simultaneously inflicting enormous losses of nearly 490 million won on the city. He was also accused of receiving or demanding more than 18 billion won from four companies in bribes to fund a football club in the city, in return for favours in his capacity as the Mayor. Lee said the indictment was "not surprising at all" and denied the accusations. He claimed the investigation was politically motivated and led by theYoon Administration to take down a political opponent.[136][137]
In September 2023, Seoul prosecutors sought another motion to arrest Lee on corruption charges for giving special favours to a land developer in theBaekhyeon-dong neighbourhood and sending 8 million dollars to North Korea through the Ssangbangwool Group. On 21 September, the Democratic-majority National Assembly approved the motion, with a 149–136 vote, with dozens of his own party members voting to arrest him.[138] On that day, Justice MinisterHan Dong-hoon issued an arrest warrant for Lee, marking a historic first, as the motion passed during a heated plenary session with 136 lawmakers opposing it.[139][138] He was released after the Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrant on 27 September.[140]
In June 2024, Lee was indicted again, on bribery charges in an alleged scheme to transfer funds to North Korea and facilitate a visit toPyongyang. He was accused of asking an underwear company to illegally transfer $8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020, during his tenure as governor ofGyeonggi Province, to facilitate a visit. Lee denied the charges.[141][142][143]
On 15 November 2024, Lee was convicted by the Seoul Central District Court of making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign in violation of the Public Official Election Act and was given a one-year suspended prison sentence over his denial of acquaintanceship with Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of Seongnam Development Corporation that was behind a corruption-ridden development project inSeongnam.[144][145] On 25 November, Lee was acquitted by the same court of instigating a witness in a related case to commit perjury.[146] Lee appealed the Public Official Election Act verdict between 21 November 2024 and 27 March 2025, the Seoul High Court acquitted Lee.[147] On 1 May, the Supreme Court overturned Lee's acquittal and returned the case to the Seoul High Court.[148]
On 24 March 2025, Lee was fined 3 million won ($2,043) by the Seoul Central District Court for defying an order to testify in the Seongnam Development Corporation case for a second time.[149] On 26 March, the Seoul High Court overturned Lee's conviction for Public Office Election Act violation.[150] On 28 March, Lee was again fined 5 million-won (US$3,407) by the Seoul Central District Court for refusing to testify in the Seongnam Development Corporation case for a third time.[151]
Lee tends to run a policy platform close to the centre-left in the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee advocates forNew Deal liberalism economically and respects the policies ofFranklin D. Roosevelt. On 10 October 2021, Lee said "We will change the graph of economic growth upward with a strong state-led economic revival policy. I'll learn from Roosevelt, who overcame theGreat Depression with left-wing policy (좌파 정책)".[152]
Lee announced his overarching economic policy vision as "Transformative and Fair Growth". Lee's view on the Korean economy is that many problems have arisen from the slowdown of economic growth. Low growth leads to fewer opportunities for younger generations, causing fiercer competition and social unrest. This is especially relevant for Korea, as the rules and institutions that have been designed for a high-growth catch-up economy no longer work well for an advanced economy.[153]
Lee asserts that the slowdown of economic growth is related to the unfairness and polarization in many areas of the economy: for example, the gap between big monopolies andsmall and medium-sized enterprises, the differences between platforms and irregular workers, and inequalities in the real estate market. Unfair conventions distort people's economic incentives in a way that encouragesrent-seeking activities, causing serious inefficiency in resource allocation.[154]
Lee's growth strategy, "Transformative and Fair Growth" comprises a set of policies to make the economy fairer and more transformative. Innovations and transformation can be expedited on the basis of right incentives and fairer institutions. This strategy includes industrial policies for a "Green New Deal" and digital transformation, education reforms to help people adapt to the new environment, balancing market power among economic entities, measures for fair competition and labour market justice, and social safety nets to share risks related to the transformation.[155]
His overall policy stance is close tosocial liberalism and moderateprogressivism,[156] but there are also someeconomic liberal tendencies, such as real estate tax cuts and partial corporate deregulation.[157][158] This tendency toward economic liberalism has shifted to the right compared in recent years, and increased before and after the2022 South Korean presidential election.[159] Lee has complemented this shift with occasional rhetoric supporting traditional Buddhism's role in maintaining social cohesion nationwide, despite Lee being a Protestant who has emphasized Christians gaining political power.[35][160]
Unlike most South Koreanliberals, Lee often speaks favorably of former dictatorPark Chung Hee. Lee said on 2 November 2021, "President Park Chung Hee created theGyeongbu Expressway to open the way for manufacturing-oriented industrialization," adding, "The Lee Jae Myung administration will build an 'energy highway' that will open a new future while speeding through the decarbonised era."[161]The Dong-A Ilbo, a conservative media outlet in South Korea, said Lee's state-led policies are closer to Park Chung Hee's authoritarianism thanleft-wing populism based on social equality.[162]
When Lee evaluatedChun Doo-hwan's economic performance favourably on 11 December 2021, he was criticized by South Korea's liberal camp. The Justice Party's Sim Sang-jung said of Lee, "You seem to have become a presidential candidate for the [conservative] People Power Party while trying to differentiate yourself from the Moon Jae-in government".[163] The People Power Party's presidential candidate, Yoon Suk Yeol, sarcastically said, "You can be our party's presidential candidate".[163] In an editorial toThe Hankyoreh, a South Korean centre-left liberal journalist who was critical of the dictatorship in the past strongly criticized Lee for forgetting his (liberal) "values" to win the votes of conservative voters.[164]
One of Lee's signature 2022 presidential campaign pledges was a promise to implementuniversal basic income. Lee implemented various basic income programs for residents during his time as mayor and governor.[165][166]
During the 2022 campaign, Lee promised to introduce basic income to young people, farmers and fishermen first. Later, the program would expand to include all citizens, and the basic income amounts would increase. As part of this plan, Lee sought to link the basic income to acarbon tax andland value tax.[167]
Lee pledged to introduce a universal basic income scheme at the national level for the first time in the world. He pledged to distribute 1,000,000South Korean won (aboutUS$900) per year to every citizen and ₩2,000,000 (about US$1,800) per year to youth aged between 19 and 29. Additional basic income would be considered for farmers, children, the elderly, and disabled people. Although the basic income program would start at a modest level, Lee indicated that the long-term goal is to increase basic income to ₩6,000,000 (about US$5,400) per year. Lee proposed the basic income plan would be financed byland value tax andcarbon tax. Lee stressed that these taxes were necessary to curb real estate speculation and reduce carbon emissions.[168]
Lee advocated for "basic loans," which would allow any citizen to take out government loans of up to ₩10,000,000 (US$8,750) at an interest rate of around 3 percent, regardless of their credit status. Lee advocated for thesegovernment-backed loan to the public as a safer alternative to borrowing money from loan sharks or private money lenders.[27]
Lee emphasises the importance of data in digital transformation. During his tenure as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee ordered that administrative official documents should use the open document format (ODF) instead of the previous Hangeul software. He also implemented the world's first data dividend, which returns the portion of the profit created by data-related business to the consumers who actually created the data. He used data analysis to combatAfrican swine fever and prosecute illegal construction companies. He provided a mobile app to monitor the movements of COVID-19 confirmed patients without violating privacy and revealing personal information, using data encryption technology.[169] Lee argues that the monopoly situation of big platform companies with network effects could be as an obstacle to fair growth of the digital sector, and argues that workers employed by platform enterprises should have new types of employment contracts so that they could be better protected in the digital era.[170]
Lee states that South Korea should have future-oriented economic policies that take into account the role ofartificial intelligence and its effect on society. He has stated that this shift will require government support to alleviate difficulties that might arise from the economic adjustment.[171]
Lee is known to be a strong supporter offree trade. He opposes restrictions against South Koreansemiconductor items due to U.S.trade protectionism.[172]
One of Lee's election pledges was to avoid focusing on grades and numbers and instead proceed in the direction of strengthening student's capabilities. Lee said that in middle school teachers would determine student performance throughsummative assessments, and that he planned to launch a basic math curriculum through a 'high school credit system' in high school to make up for underachievement. He also suggested introducing AI-based personalized learning and evaluation in some subjects, such as mathematics, to strengthen individualized learning and evaluation throughout elementary and middle school.[173]
Lee proposed an 'outdoor school' that fosters the challenges, adventures, cooperation, and curiosity necessary for adolescent growth. It promised to prepare and introduce a curriculum of about 10 hours per semester.[173]
Lee promised universal basic income and universal basic loans specifically for youth. He planned to provide one-time employment benefits to youth that voluntarily resigned from a job, in order to support job searching and career development. Lee planned to lower student loan interest rates and allow university tuition to be proportional to the credits students take each semester. Lastly, he planned to provide universal basic housing to youth and reform the housing market to help low-income youth buy and own their own homes.[174]
During the 2022 presidential election, Lee stated that he was positive on anti-discrimination laws, but was against abolishing the 'sodomy law' in the military and would not openly support theLGBTQ community.[175] However, Lee stated more recently that he is against passing anti-discrimination laws with LGBTQ protection unilaterally without social consensus, and would not let it pass under his watch.[176][177]
Some media outlets, such as theNew York Times, have characterized Lee Jae Myung as being hostile tofeminism.[178][179][180] On 8 November 2021, Lee distributed an article to participants of the National Election Commission stating, "If Lee Jae Myung differentiates himself from the Moon Jae-in government's feminist-first policy, he can gain support from young men". On 10 November, Lee shared a post written by a supporter onDC Inside on his Facebook page, which read, "Candidate Lee Jae Myung, please stop the 'feminism of madness' (of the Moon Jae-In government). If you promise to do so, I will vote [for you] with great pleasure".[181][182][183]
Progressive politicianSim Sang-jung criticized Lee Jae Myung as a clear "anti-feminist".[183]Ahn Cheol-soo, a centre-rightconservative liberal, also criticized Lee Jae Myung's pledge on gender as "misogyny".[184]
Lee Jae Myung created a subsidy for teens to purchaseperiod products in 2016[185] and advocated for allowing medical insurance to be used to cover the cost ofabortion and other contraceptive procedures. In this regard, it received positive reviews from feminists.[186]Time magazine described Lee's women policy as "progressive".[187] He strongly opposes the "abolition of theMinistry of Gender Equality and Family" (여성가족부 폐지) supported by the right-wing conservative camp.[188]
Lee criticized Yoon Suk-Yeol's claim that structuralgender inequality and misogyny do not exist in modern South Korean society and insisted on resolving structural gender discrimination. Lee has also called for a public apology for Yoon Suk-Yeol's comments that women are no longer discriminated against.[189][190]
During his presidential campaign in 2022, Lee Jae Myung pledged to strengthen the punishment for sex crimes and expand government support for single-person female households. He also pledged to introduce a sexist workplace report and supervision system to prevent gender discrimination in the workplace. Concerning women's health, he pledged to increase government subsidy of sanitary pads and promote free HPV vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, as well as changing the name of the "Department of Obsterics and Gynecology" to the "Department of Women's Health Medicine".[191]
Lee is a pro-immigrant rights politician. Lee criticizes conservatives' immigration policies for focusing on securing simple labor and is actively interested in the human rights of foreign workers.[192]
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Lee revealed his diplomats about the United States and neighboring countries China and Japan as presidential candidates,[clarification needed] while seeking friendly relations with North Korea. Lee announced a comprehensive foreign policy plan on 22 August 2021.[193] He emphasized that the aim of foreign policy should be focused on improving the quality of the people and it should be practical to enhance national interest.[6]
Lee stated that he will continue the efforts of previous liberal presidents to conduct peace talks with North Korea, citing PresidentKim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy, PresidentRoh Moo-hyun'ssummit with Kim Jong Il, and President Moon Jae-in'speace talks with North Korea.[194] Lee favours the approach of a conditional rollback of sanctions on North Korea if it takes steps todenuclearize. While he believes in easing of sanctions, he also advocates immediate restoration of sanctions if North Korea fails to keep its denuclearization promises.[194]
Shortly after taking office as president, Lee ordered a suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts across theDMZ into North Korea on 11 June 2025 as part of efforts to ease tensions and restore theSunshine Policy.[195]
Lee supports trade relations with the US. He also believes in good relations with the US military, which has its main bases in his province. However, he has criticized the US-deployedTHAAD anti-missile system for prompting Chinese economic retaliation.[196] Later, he said that as the THAAD is already deployed, the country must make a new decision on theUS-ROK alliance and the progress of denuclearisation of North Korea.[197]
Lee expressed his position on the issue between the US and China in South Korea's foreign policy, saying that the US is Korea's only ally and that friendly relations with the US are the most important.[198]
Lee stated that while the United States is South Korea's only ally, China is also astrategic partner. He said, "There is no reason to narrow our range of movement by choosing one or the other side. It is competent diplomacy to make the U.S. and China choose to cooperate with us."[194][199]
In response to a Korean Chinese performer wearing ahanbok at theopening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Lee criticized China for "robbing and invading"Korean culture.[200] In 2022, Lee said that if a Chinese fishing boat illegally breaks into South Korean waters, he would sink it.[201]
In 2024, Lee criticized President Yoon for unnecessarily "antagonizing" China and creating a trade deficit with the country for the first time in decades. He also criticized Yoon's administration on theissue of Taiwan, saying "We should just say ‘xie xie’ [to China] and ‘xie xie’ to Taiwan as well. Why do we interfere in cross-strait [China-Taiwan] relations?"[202]
In regards torelations with Japan, Lee is pursuing a "two track strategy" to promote economic, social, and diplomatic exchange and cooperation while also dealing withhistorical issues,territorial sovereignty, and the life and safety of the people.[194][203]
Lee opposes to military training with the United States in which Japan participates, and he has described those who support training with Japan as "far-rightchinil acts" (극단적 친일 행위).[204][205]
In 2016, Lee said in an interview with anNHK reporter that Japan is South Korea'sde facto 'enemy country'. He argues that if Japan increases its military power, it will be the first to invade South Korea.[206] However, while critical of "Japanese imperialism" (일본 제국주의), Lee is not opposed to the South Korea-Japan military agreement,GSOMIA (지소미아), to maintain friendly relations with the United States, which calls for military cooperation between South Korea and Japan. GSOMIA is known to be what the United States demands from South Korea and Japan.[207]
On 1 March 2018, Lee said that Japan which he referred to as "an aggressor country" (침략국가), rather than Korea, should have been divided into two countries following thePacific War.[208]
Lee opposes theRussian invasion of Ukraine and does not oppose partialsanctions against Russia. However, he is considered to have a relatively friendly perception of Russia by South Korean standards. After the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, he criticizedVolodymyr Zelenskyy's foreign policy toward Russia as 'incompetent' and 'provoking', causing controversy in South Korea.[209] He strongly opposes South Korean conservatives' support for the possibility of arms aid to Ukraine, which he fears will negatively affect the South Korean economy.[210]
Lee supports strongerrelations with Vietnam, while also endorses measures to welcome more Vietnamese workers, including theLai Đại Hàn.[121] Lee recognizesSouth Korean war crimes in Vietnam, comparing those toJapanese atrocities and as theopposition leader underYoon Suk Yeol's presidency, he formally supported South Korean court's decision orderingthe government to pay reparations for Vietnamese war crime victims.[211]
National awards
South Korea: Recipient of theGrand Order of Mugunghwa (4 June 2025) (as the President of South Korea)South Korea: Recipient of theOrder of Merit for National Foundation (4 June 2025) (as the President of South Korea)| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand National | Lee Dae-yup | 177,531 | 54.0 | ||
| Uri | Lee Jae Myung | 78,059 | 23.8 | ||
| Democratic | Jang Yeong-ha | 38,144 | 11.6 | ||
| Democratic Labor | Kim Mi-hee | 34,909 | 10.6 | ||
| Total votes | 331,884 | 100.0 | |||
| Grand Nationalhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand National | Ko Heong-gil | 46,396 | 64.7 | ||
| UDP | Lee Jae Myung | 23,822 | 33.2 | ||
| PUFP | Choi Jeong-hwan | 1,455 | 2.0 | ||
| Total votes | 72,490 | 100.0 | |||
| Grand Nationalhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 201,047 | 51.2 | |
| Grand National | Hwang Joon-gi | 169,510 | 43.1 | |
| Independent | Lee Dae-yup | 22,360 | 5.7 | |
| Total votes | 397,878 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromGrand National | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPAD | Lee Jae Myung | 239,685 | 55.1 | ||
| Saenuri | Shin Yeong-su | 191,749 | 44.0 | ||
| The New Politics | Heo Jae-ahn | 3,901 | 0.9 | ||
| Total votes | 448,996 | 100.0 | |||
| NPADhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 3,370,621 | 56.4 | |
| Liberty Korea | Nam Kyung-pil | 2,122,433 | 35.5 | |
| Bareunmirae | Kim Young-hwan | 287,504 | 4.8 | |
| Justice | Lee Hong-woo | 151,871 | 2.5 | |
| Minjung | Hong Sung-kyu | 43,098 | 0.7 | |
| Total votes | 5,975,527 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromLiberty Korea | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People Power | Yoon Suk Yeol | 16,394,815 | 48.56 | |
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 16,147,738 | 47.83 | |
| Justice | Sim Sang-jung | 803,358 | 2.38 | |
| National Revolutionary | Huh Kyung-young | 281,481 | 0.83 | |
| Progressive | Kim Jae-yeon | 37,366 | 0.11 | |
| Our Republican | Cho Won-jin | 25,972 | 0.08 | |
| Basic Income | Oh Jun-ho | 18,105 | 0.05 | |
| Korean Wave Alliance | Kim Min-chan | 17,305 | 0.05 | |
| Korean Unification | Lee Gyeong-hee | 11,708 | 0.03 | |
| Labor | Lee Baek-yun | 9,176 | 0.03 | |
| New Liberal Democratic Union | Kim Gyeong-jae | 8,317 | 0.02 | |
| Saenuri | Ok Un-ho | 4,970 | 0.01 | |
| Total votes | 33,760,311 | 100.00 | ||
| People Powergain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 44,289 | 55.24 | ||
| People Power | Yoon Hyeong-seon | 35,886 | 44.75 | ||
| Total votes | 80,175 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 48,365 | 54.12 | ||
| People Power | Won Hee-ryong | 40,616 | 45.45 | ||
| Tomorrow, Future | Choi Chang-won | 372 | 0.41 | ||
| Total votes | 89,354 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 17,287,513 | 49.42 | |
| People Power | Kim Moon-soo | 14,395,639 | 41.15 | |
| Reform | Lee Jun-seok | 2,917,523 | 8.34 | |
| Justice | Kwon Yeong-guk | 344,150 | 0.98 | |
| Independent | Song Jin-ho | 35,791 | 0.10 | |
| Total votes | 35,236,497 | 100.00 | ||
| Democraticgain fromPeople Power | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Moon Jae-in | 936,419 | 57.0 | |
| Democratic | Ahn Hee-jung | 353,631 | 21.5 | |
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 347,647 | 21.2 | |
| Democratic | Choi Sung | 4,943 | 0.3 | |
| Total votes | 1,642,677 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 719,905 | 50.3 | |
| Democratic | Lee Nak-yeon | 560,392 | 39.1 | |
| Democratic | Choo Mi-ae | 129,035 | 9.0 | |
| Democratic | Park Yong-jin | 22,261 | 1.6 | |
| Total votes | 1,431,593 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lee Jae Myung | 623,695 | 89.8 | |
| Democratic | Kim Dong-yeon | 41,307 | 6.9 | |
| Democratic | Kim Kyoung-soo | 25,512 | 3.4 | |
| Total votes | 690,514 | 100.0 | ||
Lee is married toKim Hea Kyung since 1991; the two first met in August 1990.[212] They have two children together.
Lee has a disability in his arm and is registered as a disabled person.[11]
더불어 과거사 문제도 언급될 것으로 여겨진다. 다만 베트남 측이 과거보다 '미래 지향적' 관계를 원하는 만큼 주요 의제로 다뤄지지는 않을 것으로 관측된다.[Historical issues are also expected to be addressed. However, given Vietnam's desire for a more "future-oriented" relationship than the past, it is unlikely to be addressed as a major topic.]
The Foreign Ministry said Seoul previously offered to issue a formal apology, but the Vietnamese government declined the offer, based on its preference for a future-oriented relationship.
이 후보는 이날 서울 중구 대한상공회의소에서 최태원 대한상의 회장과 만나 "창의와 혁신을 가로막는 관료적 규제는 축소하거나 없애야 하는 것"이라면서 "기업은 새로운 아이템 발굴이 자유롭게 이뤄질 수 있도록 해야한다"고 밝혔다.[Candidate Lee met with Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung District, Seoul, and said "Bureaucratic regulations that hinder creativity and innovation should be reduced or removed", "Companies should be free to discover new items".]
그는 국력과 한미동맹이 뒷받침하는 포용적 다자외교로 전략적 자율성을 발휘할 때 '윈-윈'하는 결과를 얻어낼 수 있다고 강조했다. 또한 공정한자유무역을 제안하면서 한미정상회담에서 대한민국 수출 효자 품목인 반도체에 대한 차별을 바로잡아야 한다고 했다.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)'페미니즘과 거리를 둬야 한다'는 취지의 글을 이 후보가 공유한 건 이번이 처음이 아니다. 앞서 지난 8일에는 중앙선대위 회의 직후 참석자들에게 '2030 남자들이 펨코에 모여서 홍(홍준표)을 지지한 이유'라는 온라인 커뮤니티 글을 함께 읽어보자며 내용을 프린트해서 배포했다.
하지만 이재명 후보는 지난 8일 "이재명이 문재인 정부의 페미 우선 정책과 차별화를 이뤄낸다면 젊은 남성의 지지를 얻을 수 있다"고 주장한 온라인 커뮤니티 글을 중앙선대위 참석자들에게 배포했다. 10일에는 "광기의 페미니즘을 멈춰주시면 이재명 후보를 기쁜 마음으로 찍겠다"고 한 글을 페이스북에 공유했다. 두 글 모두 이재명 후보가 청년세대에서 지지율이 낮은 것이 '페미니즘과 성평등 정책' 때문이라고 주장한 글들이다.
Lee is also campaigning on progressive policies like ensuring that at least 30% of top officials are women.
이재명 더불어민주당 대표가 "코리안 드림이 코리안 악몽이 되지 않아야 한다"며 국내 이주노동자들의 처우 개선을 위한 제도적 개선책 수립을 촉구했다.
Democratic Party chairman Lee Jae-myung 이재명 민주당 당대표 said he "supported and welcomed the court's judgment," adding: 'in order to move forward to future-oriented bilateral relations between Korea and Vietnam, we must have the courage to face the error and correct it. Korea must not follow Japan down the wrong path.'
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lee Dae-yup | Mayor ofSeongnam 2010–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Gyeonggi Province 2018–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of South Korea 2025–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee for President of South Korea 2022,2025 | Most recent |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Democratic Party 2022–2025 | Succeeded by |
| National Assembly of the Republic of Korea | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theNational Assembly fromGyeyang B (Incheon) 2022–2025 | Most recent |
| Provisional Governments (Pre-Union)(1919) | Syngman Rhee (Seoul) • Syngman Rhee (Shanghai) •Yi Tongnyŏng (Shanghai) •Ahn Chang Ho (Shanghai) •Yi Tonghwi (Shanghai) •Mun Ch'angpŏm [ko] (Vladivostok) |  |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional Government(1919–1948) | Syngman Rhee‡ •Yi Tongnyŏng •Pak Ŭnsik •Yi Yup'il [ko] •Yi Sangnyong •Yang Kit'ak •Yi Tongnyŏng • Ahn Chang Ho • Yi Tongnyŏng •Hong Chin •Kim Ku • Yi Tongnyŏng •Song Pyŏngjo [ko] • Yi Tongnyŏng • Kim Ku • Syngman Rhee | |
| First Republic(1948–1960) | Syngman Rhee •Ho Chong | |
| Second Republic(1960–1961) | ||
| Military Junta(1961–1963) | ||
| Third Republic(1963–1972) | Park Chung Hee | |
| Fourth Republic(1972–1981) | ||
| Fifth Republic(1981–1988) | Chun Doo-hwan | |
| Sixth Republic(1988–present) | ||
| Leaders (acting) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidential candidates (Presidents) | |||||||||
| Floor leaders |
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| Preceding parties |
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| Splinter parties |
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| Satellite party | |||||||||
| Related articles | |||||||||
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|---|---|
Heads of government of theG20 | |
|---|---|
1 President is a non-participant; Taiwan is represented asChinese Taipei. |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
