Lee Jae-myung, biography of the 21st President of South Korea

Lee Jae-myung is the new leader of South Korea after winning the early elections marked by an unprecedented institutional crisis, and will begin his term under the shadow of an open criminal trial that threatens to become his biggest political obstacle.

His victory, clear according to the projections of the main national networks, represents the return of the liberal Democratic Party (PD) to power after the removal of the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol due to the unconstitutional imposition of martial law in December.

Born in 1964 in Andong, in the east-central part of the country, Lee grew up in poverty after moving to Seongnam, a commuter town of Seoul. After a difficult childhood, he completed law studies on a scholarship, worked as a human rights lawyer, and joined the Liberal Party in 2004. He was mayor of Seongnam from 2010–2018 and then governor of Gyeonggi, the most populous province in the country.

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He was noted for cleaning up public finances and for launching social programs such as a universal basic income for young people. However, during his time as mayor, family scandals also emerged and a particular accusation of corruption, which still haunts him.

His opponents link him to an alleged irregular profit-sharing scheme in an urban development project, in which an implicated official, Kim Moon-ki, was found dead in 2021. Lee Jae-myung is married to pharmacist Kim Hye-kyung. The couple has two sons. Their names have not been made public, as the family has chosen to keep the children’s private lives out of the media spotlight.

A trial that could define his presidency

After narrowly losing the 2022 presidential election to Yoon, Lee relaunched his political career with a more conciliatory approach. He was officially nominated as the DP’s presidential candidate on April 27 with an overwhelming 89.77% support, days after the Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon for illegally declaring martial law.

In May, the Supreme Court ordered the retrial of Lee for alleged false statements related to the Daejang-dong urban development project case. Although he was acquitted in the second instance, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, and the new hearing is scheduled for June 18.

The South Korean Constitution stipulates that a president cannot be criminally prosecuted during their term, except for insurrection or treason.

However, experts disagree: some maintain that the trials initiated before the inauguration can continue; others believe that all proceedings should be suspended until the term concludes. Even if he is not removed, but the High Court respects the Supreme Court’s position, as is to be expected, Lee would have to bear the burden of guilt for a large part of his term.

A new moderated profile

During the campaign, Lee moderated his speech and moved towards a “centrist-conservative” position, reducing his combative language and focusing on economic and technological proposals.

While maintaining its commitment to social justice, it also proposes the creation of a Ministry of Climate and Energy and policies for industrial and digital stimulus.

He is often compared to figures like Bernie Sanders or Andrés Manuel López Obrador for his anti-elite style and focus on social justice.

In terms of gender equality, he avoided ideological confrontations and, until the end of the campaign, committed to expanding the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, in contrast to his conservative rivals who advocate for its abolition.

Regarding North Korea, it maintained a low profile in the speech, but has reaffirmed its intention to re-establish inter-Korean dialogue as a way to reduce tensions, in line with its vision of a foreign policy based on results and not on symbolic gestures.

In the context of the tariffs established by U.S. President Donald Trump, Lee will seek a balance between pragmatism and national interests.

Jeong Jeong-hoon, foreign press spokesperson for Lee’s campaign team, told EFE that the new president will promote a “pragmatic and mutually beneficial” diplomacy, based on rational and transparent dialogue, with the aim of “avoiding unnecessary confrontations” and building strong alliances “on the basis of trust and not blind alignment.”

A Leadership Tested from Day One

Lee Jae-myung takes office without a transition period, as stipulated by law in extraordinary elections. The inauguration is scheduled for this Wednesday, a few hours after the official results are announced.

In addition to the aforementioned tariff negotiation or dealing with Pyongyang, Lee will encounter a society marked by ideological and gender gaps.

In his final campaign event, held on Monday in Seoul, Lee promised that with his term “the fulfillment of a luminous revolution will begin.” “We will without fail find those responsible for the insurrection, clarify the facts with precision, and hold the main culprits accountable.”

With the country still marked by the second presidential impeachment in just three cycles and in a climate of high polarization, Lee has repeated in his speeches that his goal is to close the era of confrontation and open a new one of unity and hope. But the future of his presidency, like that of the country, remains tied to a pending judicial resolution.