Jump to content

Lee Jae-myung

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Lee Jae-Myung)

Lee Jae-myung
이재명
Official National Assembly portrait of Lee Jae-myung, 2022
Official portrait, 2022
Leader of the Democratic Party
Assumed office
28 August 2022
Preceded byWoo Sang-ho
Member of the National Assembly
Assumed office
2 June 2022
Preceded bySong Young-gil
ConstituencyGyeyang B (Incheon)
35th Governor of Gyeonggi Province
In office
1 July 2018 – 25 October 2021
Preceded byNam Kyung-pil
Succeeded by
19th Mayor of Seongnam
In office
1 July 2010 – 15 March 2018
Preceded byLee Dae-yup
Succeeded byEun Su-mi
Personal details
Born (1963-12-08) 8 December 1963 (age 61)
Andong, South Korea
Political partyDemocratic (2014–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Kim Hye-kyung
(m. 1991)
Children2
Education
Occupation
  • Politician
  • author
ProfessionLawyer
Signature
Korean name
Hangul
이재명
Hanja
李在明
Revised RomanizationI Jaemyeong
McCune–ReischauerYi Chaemyŏng

Lee Jae-myung (Korean: 이재명; born 8 December 1963) is a South Korean lawyer and politician serving as the member of the National Assembly for Gyeyang B (Incheon) and as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea since 2022. He previously served as the 35th governor of Gyeonggi Province from 2018 to 2021, and was the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2022 South Korean presidential election.

Born to a poor family in Andong, Lee became a factory worker after primary school and became disabled due to workplace injuries. Lee earned middle and high school equivalency diplomas and studied at Chung-Ang University, earning his law degree in 1986. As a human rights and labour lawyer, Lee organized with Minbyun and advocated for opening a new hospital in Seongnam.

Lee entered politics in 2005 and unsuccessfully contested a few elections. He was elected Mayor of Seongnam in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He resigned in 2018 for a successful run for Governor of Gyeonggi Province. Lee ran for president in 2022, winning the party nomination, but narrowly losing to Yoon Suk Yeol in the general election.

In January 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt. Later that year, in November, he was convicted of violating the Public Official Election Act by falsely denying his connection with Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of Seongnam Development Corporation, during his 2022 presidential campaign. He received a one-year suspended prison sentence, a decision he says was politically motivated.

Early life

[edit]
Lee in 1976

Lee was born on 8 December 1963 in Andong, the fifth of seven children.[citation needed] The date of birth is given as 22 December 1964, but this is a date arbitrarily written by the father because he was late in registering the birth, and the actual date of birth is estimated to be between October 22 and October 23 in the lunar calendar.

Lee grew up in poverty, and as a result of his family's lack of funds, he would frequently forgo social activities and relied on the generosity of school faculty to attend field trips. He has cited fishing along the creek with his friends as being one of his favorite pastimes.[1]

According to his first-grade report card, he was quite stubborn, he had normal grades, and he played well with his classmates.[2] When Lee graduated from elementary school, the South Korean public school system did not give free education for middle and high school. His father spent most of the family's money on gambling, and Lee's family left Andong to find work.[3]

Child factory worker

[edit]

Lee's family moved to Seongnam, an industrial planned city built during the administration of Park Chung Hee to concentrate industry outside of Seoul. Seongnam was mostly populated by poor people, who were often coerced to move there by the government.

Like other children from poor families, Lee worked in a handmade necklace factory instead of attending middle school. After the necklace factory went bankrupt, he moved to a company called Dongma Rubber. Lee at this time was not old enough to legally work in South Korea, so he worked under various pseudonyms. Lee injured his finger at Dongma Rubber.[1]

After the accident, Lee left Dongma Rubber and worked for Daeyang Industry. In a second workplace injury, an industrial press crushed his wrist joint. The injury was untreated and caused a disability in his arm. Later, he was exempted from military service.[4][5] He is a contemporary registered disabled person.[6]

While working at Daeyang Industry, Lee saw a group of students wearing school uniforms and he developed a desire to attend university. He enrolled in classes to pass the exams. He passed the high school entrance examination and earned a middle school diploma in 1978.[7] Two years later in 1980, he passed the university entrance examination and obtained a high school diploma.[citation needed]

Lee's personal experience with crushing poverty inspired his political philosophy of 'Eokgang Buyak', which aims to curb the privileges and excesses of the powerful and support the poorest segments of society.[8][9]

Civil rights attorney

[edit]

Based on his entrance examination scores, Lee was accepted into Chung-Ang University's College of Law on a scholarship.[1] In 1986, upon graduating from college, he passed the bar exam and entered the Judicial Research and Training Institute for two years in order to join the bar. Lee opposed the authoritarian regime of Chun Doo-hwan.[10] Lee originally intended to become a judge or prosecutor for the prestige and pay, but he was inspired by a lecture from Roh Moo-hyun to become a human rights and labour lawyer, like Roh and Moon Jae-in.[11] He set up his practice in Seongnam.[citation needed]

After opening his own lawyer's office, Lee organized for labour and human rights with the lawyers' organization Minbyun, working with the heads of labour counselling centres in Incheon and Gwangju. In 1995, he started a civic movement as a founding member of the 'Seongnam Citizens' Association'. He gained fame as a lawyer and social activism around the 'Park View preferential sale case', where an investigation suggested corruption in the awarding of building permits and preferential sales of property in Bundang to government officials.[1][12][further explanation needed]

Around 2002 two general hospitals in Seongnam closed. Lee started a movement to build a new municipal hospital. The city council, which was then controlled by the Grand 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.[13]

Political career

[edit]

On 23 August 2005, Lee joined the then-ruling Uri Party, a predecessor of the Democratic Party of Korea, and declared his candidacy for mayor of Seongnam. He ran as a candidate in the local elections in 2006, but was defeated by 23.75% of the vote due to poor public opinion about the Uri Party and Roh administration at the time.[8]

In the 2007 presidential election, Lee Jae-Myung served as the senior deputy chief of the Office of the Presidential Candidate Chung Dong-young of the Grand Unified Democratic New Party. In the 2008 general election, he applied for a nomination in the constituency of Seongnam Jungwon A, but was defeated by Cho Sung-jun in the primary election, and was nominated in the Seongnam 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 under Lee Myung-bak.

After the 2008 election, Lee served as the Democratic Party's deputy spokesperson at the request of the Democratic Party's leader Chung Sye-kyun.

Mayor of Seongnam (2010–2018)

[edit]

He ran for the mayoralty of Seongnam in the 2010 South Korean local elections under the Democratic 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.[14]

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 the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport over the construction of the Pangyo project; he thereafter attempted to renegotiate the debt owed, and paid it off with a large amount municipal bonds.[15][16] He also attracted attention due to his active use of social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, often expressing his views on national issues bluntly on the two services. A particular stunt involving him installing CCTV in the mayoral office gained fame, with him claiming that "many people were bringing in money envelopes."[14]

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.[14] Along with that, he established a "youth dividend" system, acting as a form of Universal Basic Income for young citizens.[17]

He won re-election in the 2014 South Korean local elections, winning 55.1% of the vote.

Lee is noted for his decision to ban dog 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.[18][19] 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.[20]

He heavily criticized the response of Park Geun-hye to the Sinking 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.[14] 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.[21] In total, he had a 94.1% promise fulfillment rate.[14]

Several of the policies introduced by Lee, such as the youth dividend, would go on to become his premier framework in national politics.

Governor of Gyeonggi Province (2018–2021)

[edit]

Following his defeat for the presidential nomination, Lee ran for Governor of Gyeonggi Province, which encompasses much of the Seoul Capital Area and has a population of over 13 million, in the 2018 local elections.[22] He won the Democratic Party primary for the governorship over close Moon Jae-in ally Jeon Hae-cheol, capturing about 60% of the vote and being selected to run against incumbent governor Nam Kyung-pil.[23] Despite general expectation of a close race, Lee would win against Nam by over 20%, managing to bring in about 56% of the vote. He was the first liberal Governor of Gyeonggi since Lim Chang-yeol [ko] twenty years earlier.

Lee wearing a white protective mask
Lee in October 2020

Lee received acclaim for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic as governor.[24]

In March 2020, when the nation's first COVID-19 wave took place, following an infection cluster among followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Lee visited the residence of the organization's founder 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.[25]

Lee also announced a special order for all foreigners working in Gyeonggi Province to be tested for COVID-19.[26][27] Seoul announced similar policies but changed them to recommendation after facing criticism. Lee's special order resulted in finding 329 new positive cases.[28][29]

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.[30] 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.[31][32]

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.[citation needed]

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".[25] He resigned as governor to focus on his bid for the presidency in October 2021.

National Assembly (2022–present)

[edit]

Following his narrow loss in the presidential election the same year, on 7 May 2022, Lee declared his candidacy in the June 2022 South Korean by-elections running for Incheon Gyeyang District B vacant seat in the National Assembly.[33] 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.[34]

Assassination attempt

[edit]

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 a planned new airport located on Gadeokdo Island in Busan.[35][36][37] Though Lee remained conscious, he continued bleeding and was transferred to a hospital approximately 20 minutes later.[35] The assailant, who was wearing a "I'm Lee Jae-myung" paper crown,[38][37] lunged at Lee after asking for his autograph.[39][35][37] The assailant was arrested at the scene.[35][37] The assailant, who was male,[35] was identified as having the surname "Kim" and was reported to have been born in 1957.[40]

Though the neck wound was not considered to be life threatening, Lee's surgery took longer than expected, with damage being inflicted on his jugular vein that led to additional bleeding.[40][39] The laceration in his neck which resulted from the knife wound was determined to be approximately 1 centimetre.[40] While in custody, the assailant confessed to Busan Metropolitan Police that he carried out the attack with the intention of killing Lee.[40]

2024 martial law crisis

[edit]
Lee Jae-myung climbing the National Assembly building fence during the 2024 declaration of martial law in South Korea.

Lee gained international attention in 2024 when, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and attempted to stop the National Assembly from convening using the military, continued to go to the Assembly building anyway. Lee started a livestream on his YouTube channel, recording himself 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". The Democratic Party alleged that an arrest team had been sent to him, Han Dong-hoon, and Woo Won-shik, attempting to bring all three into custody.[41][42][43] This was confirmed from testimony by National Intelligence Service (NIS) Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, who stated Yoon wanted to "use this chance to arrest [opposition leaders] and wipe them out."[44][45][46]

He stated that he thought the martial law declaration was, initially, a deepfake. He afterwards led the charge to impeach Yoon, with 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."[47][48] Yoon was ultimately impeached by the National Assembly on 14 December.[49]

Presidential campaigns

[edit]

2017 election

[edit]

At the end of 2016, Park Geun-hye–Choi Soon-sil Gate broke. At a series of protests that took place across the country, he attracted national attention with his strong speeches, stating that "President Park Geun-hye is no longer our president". He ranked second in various public opinion polls after Moon Jae-in in the Democratic Party 2017 primary.[50] 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 as Roh Moo-hyun, in dramatically upswinging his support off of just a few regions."[51] Lee was considered part of the progressive wing in the Democratic Party.[52]

However, as the protests began to dim with the impeachment of the President and removal of her in favor of Hwang 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 to Ahn Hee-jung, who placed second with 353,631 votes, and Moon Jae-in, who won 936,419 votes and a majority. He would go on to defeat Hong Joon-pyo, Ahn Cheol-soo, Yoo Seung-min, and Sim Sang-jung to win the Presidency.[53]

2022 election

[edit]
Lee meeting with mayor of Goseong County, Gangwon to discuss proposed projects

Lee declared his bid in the 2022 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."[54]

Lee became the nominee of the Democratic Party of Korea on 10 October 2021.[55][56] 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.[57]

In the general election, Lee lost to Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party, 47.8% to 48.6%.[58]

Political positions

[edit]

Economic and social policy

[edit]
Sampro TV's interview with Lee Jae-myung on economic policies

Lee tends to run a policy platform close to the centre-left in the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee advocates for New Deal liberalism economically and respects the policies of Franklin 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 the Great Depression with left-wing policy (좌파 정책)".[59]

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.[60]

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 and small 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 encourages rent-seeking activities, causing serious inefficiency in resource allocation.[61]

Another aspect that Lee sees as vital for the Korean economy is recent global trends in technological progress, such as energy and digital transformation, which could cause crises or provide new opportunities depending on policy responses.[62]

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.[63]

His overall policy stance is close to social liberal and moderate-progressivism,[64] but there are also some economic liberal tendencies, such as real estate tax cuts and partial corporate deregulation.[65][66] This tendency toward economic liberalism has shifted to the right compared in recent years, and increased before and after the 2022 South Korean presidential election.[67]

Universal basic income

[edit]
Lee Jae-Myung at the 2021 Basic Income Expo

One of Lee's signature 2022 presidential campaign pledges was a promise to implement universal basic income. Lee implemented various basic income programs for residents during his time as mayor and governor.

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 a carbon tax and land value tax.[68]

Lee pledged to introduce a universal basic income scheme at the national level for the first time in the world. He pledged to distribute 1,000,000 South Korean won (about US$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 by land value tax and carbon tax. Lee stressed that these taxes were necessary to curb real estate speculation and reduce carbon emissions.[69]

Government-backed loans

[edit]

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 these government-backed loan to the public as a safer alternative to borrowing money from loan sharks or private money lenders.[70]

Technology

[edit]

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 combat African 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.[71] 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.[72]

Lee states that South Korea should have future-oriented economic policies that take into account the role of artificial 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.[73]

Trade policy

[edit]

Lee Jae-myung is known to be a strong supporter of free trade. He opposes restrictions against South Korean semiconductor items due to U.S. trade protectionism.[74]

Education

[edit]
Lee Jae-myung waving to a child
Lee Jae-myung during a visit to a child care center

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 through summative 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.[75]

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.[75]

Youth policy

[edit]
Lee Jae-myung on a youth radio show

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.[76]

LGBT rights

[edit]

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 the LGBTQ community.[77] 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.[78][79]

Feminism

[edit]

South Korean media characterized Lee Jae-Myung as being hostile to feminism and no different from his fellow 2022 presidential opponent Yoon Suk Yeol. 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 on DC 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".[80][81][82][83][84]

Progressive politician Sim Sang-jung criticized Lee Jae-myung as a clear "anti-feminist".[84] Ahn Cheol-soo, a centre-right conservative liberal, also criticized Lee Jae-myung's pledge on gender as "misogyny".[85]

However, some[who?] point out that Lee Jae-Myung's remarks on feminism are more of a populist investigation than a real policy objection to women's rights. Lee Jae-Myung was pro-choice and advocated expanding the rights of abortion women in medical insurance. In this regard, it received positive reviews from feminists.[86] Time magazine described Lee's women policy as "progressive".[87]

He strongly opposes the "abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family" (여성가족부 폐지) supported by the right-wing conservative camp.[88]

Lee criticized Yoon Suk-Yeol's claim that structural gender inequality and misogyny do not exist in modern South Korean society and insisted on resolving structural gender discrimination. Also Lee has called for a public apology for the Yoon Suk-Yeol's comments that women are no longer discriminated against.[89]

In the 2022 presidential election in South Korea, Lee Jae-myung pledged to enact a dating violence punishment law, strengthen support for victims of sex crimes, stabilize housing for single-person female households, establish a sexist workplace report and supervision system, support sanitary pads, and free HPV vaccine.[90]

Immigrant rights

[edit]

Lee Jae-myung 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.[91] However, he is against mass immigration. His party opposed the establishment of immigration office.[92]

Foreign policy

[edit]

Lee Jae-myung revealed his diplomats about the United States and neighboring countries China and Japan as presidential candidates, while seeking friendly relations with North Korea. Lee announced a comprehensive foreign policy plan on 22 August 2021.[93] 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.[21]

North Korea

[edit]

Lee stated that he will continue the efforts of previous liberal presidents to conduct peace talks with North Korea, citing President Kim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy, President Roh Moo-hyun's summit with Kim Jong Il, and President Moon Jae-in's peace talks with North Korea.[94] Lee favours the approach of a conditional rollback of sanctions on North Korea if it takes steps to denuclearize. While he believes in easing of sanctions, he also advocates immediate restoration of sanctions if North Korea fails to keep its denuclearization promises.[94]

United States

[edit]

Lee supports good 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-deployed THAAD anti-missile system for prompting Chinese economic retaliation.[95] Later, he said that as the THAAD is already deployed, the country must make a new decision on the US-ROK alliance and the progress of denuclearisation of North Korea.[96]

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.[97]

China

[edit]

Lee stated that while the United States is South Korea's only ally, China is also a strategic 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."[94]

In response to a Korean Chinese performer wearing a hanbok at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Lee criticized China for "robbing and invading" Korean culture.[98] In 2022, Lee said that if a Chinese fishing boat illegally breaks into South Korean waters, he would sink it.[99]

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 the issue of Taiwan, saying "We can simply say xie xie (thank you) to both [mainland] China and Taiwan... Why should we intervene in the Taiwan Strait issue?"[100]

Japan

[edit]

In regards to relations with Japan, Lee promotes a "two track strategy" to actively promote economic, social, and diplomatic exchange and cooperation while also resolutely dealing with historical issues, territorial sovereignty, and the life and safety of the people.[94]

Lee has a certain pro-American tendency, such as strong support for military alliance and military cooperation with the United States, but he is very opposed to military training between the three countries in which Japan participates and accuses conservatives who support it as "far-right Chinil acts" (극단적 친일 행위).[101][102]

In 2016, Lee Jae-myung said in an interview with an NHK reporter that Japan is South Korea's de facto 'enemy country' in military. He argues that if Japan increases its military power, it will be the first to invade South Korea.[103] However, while critical of "Japanese imperialism" (일본 제국주의), Lee Jae-myung 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.[104]

On 1 March 2018, Lee Jae-myung said that Japan which he referred to as "an aggressor country" (침략국가), rather than Korea, should have been divided into two countries following the Pacific War. Lee claimed that Korea, not Japan, was wrong to be divided.[105]

Russia

[edit]

Lee Jae-myung opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine and does not oppose partial sanctions against Russia. However, he is considered to have a relatively friendly perception of Russia by South Korean standards. He did not give a hawkish speech against Russia, unlike when he criticized the United States, China, and Japan, but after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, he criticized Volodymyr Zelenskyy's foreign policy toward Russia as incompetent, causing controversy in South Korea.[106] 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.[107]

Public image

[edit]

Criticism

[edit]

Unlike most South Korean liberals, Lee Jae-Myung often speaks favorably of former dictator Park Chung Hee. Lee Jae-Myung said on 2 November 2021, "President Park Chung Hee created the Gyeongbu 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."[108] The Dong-A Ilbo, a conservative media outlet in South Korea, said Lee Jae-Myung's state-led policies are closer to Park Chung Hee's authoritarianism than left-wing populism based on social equality.[109]

When Lee Jae-Myung evaluated Chun 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 Jae-myung, "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".[110] The People Power Party's presidential candidate, Yoon Suk Yeol, sarcastically said, "You can be our party's presidential candidate".[111] In an editorial to The Hankyoreh, a South Korean centre-left liberal journalist who was critical of the dictatorship in the past strongly criticized Lee Jae-myung for forgetting his (liberal) "values" to win the votes of conservative voters.[112]

Controversies

[edit]

"Unanswered Questions," an investigative journalism television programme run by Seoul Broadcasting System, aired an episode questioning the links between the local mafia organisation in Seongnam, Lee, and Eun Soo-mi, the mayor who succeeded Lee.[113][clarification needed]

During the 2018 gubernatorial election, actress Kim Boo-sun [ko] reported that she had an affair with Lee in 2007–2009.[114]

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.[115][116][117]

Investigations and criminal indictments

[edit]

In July 2020, the Supreme Court found Lee not guilty of breaching campaign law during a television debate for Gyeonggi provincial governor.[118] 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.[119][120][121]

Lee Jae-Myung 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.[122] 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.[123]

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 of Seongnam, 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 the Yoon Administration to take down a political opponent.[124][125]

In September 2023, Seoul prosecutors sought another motion to arrest Lee on corruption charges for giving special favours to a land developer in the Baekhyeon-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.[126] On that day, Justice Minister Han 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.[127][128] He was released after the Seoul Central District Court rejected the arrest warrant on 27 September.[129]

In June 2024, Lee was indicted again, on bribery charges in an alleged scheme to transfer funds to North Korea and facilitate a visit to Pyongyang. 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 of Gyeonggi Province, to facilitate a visit. Lee denied the charges.[130][131]

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 in Seongnam.[132] On 25 November, Lee was acquitted by the same court of instigating a witness in a related case to commit perjury.[133]

Electoral history

[edit]
2006 Seongnam mayoral election
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 National hold
2008 South Korean legislative electionSeongnam Bundang A, Gyeonggi Province
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 National hold
2010 Seongnam mayoral election
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
Democratic gain from Grand National
2014 Seongnam mayoral election
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
NPAD hold
2018 Gyeonggi gubernatorial election
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
Democratic gain from Liberty Korea
2022 South Korean presidential election
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 Power gain from Democratic
June 2022 South Korean by-electionsGyeyang B, Incheon
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
Democratic hold
2024 South Korean legislative electionGyeyang B, Incheon
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
Democratic hold


Primary election

[edit]
2017 South Korean presidential election Democratic Primary
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
2022 South Korean presidential election Democratic Primary
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

Authored books

[edit]
  • Lee Jae-myung (20 February 2010). 고난을 통해 희망을 만들다 [Make hope through hardship] (in Korean). Seoul: Cheongdonggeoul. ISBN 978-89-5749-128-7.
  • ——— (20 February 2014). 오직 민주주의, 꼬리를 잡아 몸통을 흔들다 [Only democracy, Grab the tail and shake the body] (in Korean). Paju: LeeBook. ISBN 978-89-97496-21-1.
  • ——— (20 January 2017). 이재명, 대한민국 혁명하라 [Lee Jae-myung, Revolutionize Korea] (in Korean). Seoul: Medici Media. ISBN 979-11-5706-077-1.
  • ———; Seo Hae-seong (3 February 2017). 이재명의 굽은 팔 [Lee Jae-myung's curved arm] (in Korean). Paju: Gimm-Young Publishers. ISBN 978-89-349-7719-3.
  • ——— (7 February 2017). 이재명은 합니다 [Lee Jae-myung Do] (in Korean). Seoul: Wisdom House. ISBN 978-89-6086-325-5.
  • ———; Cho Jung-mi (17 October 2018). 나의 소년공 다이어리 [My factory boy's diary] (in Korean) (1st ed.). Bucheon: Fandom Books. ISBN 979-11-6169-058-2.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d [파워엘리트] 이재명, 교복 부럽던 '소년공'에서 '대선주자'까지. raythep.mk.co.kr/ (in Korean). 11 January 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  2. ^ "고집 세고 성적 '미미'" 국민학교 성적표 공개한 이재명. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 5 May 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Gov. Lee Jae-myung elected as DP's presidential candidate". 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. ^ 이재명 "대선 후보? 스피커가 커져 좋다". Pressian (in Korean). 13 May 2015. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  5. ^ 민) 이재명 후보, 병역 문제 공개 검증 하자. 굿타임즈 (in Korean). 29 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  6. ^ 변덕호 (16 February 2022). 이재명 "나도 등록 장애인...대통령이 직접 장애정책 챙기겠다" – 매일경제. Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  7. ^ 이재명의 스승의 날 회고 "재명아, 너는 가능성이 있어". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 15 May 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b 이재명, 흙수저 소년공에서 與 대선후보까지. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  9. ^ 이재명 "억강부약 대동세상 열겠다" 출사표. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ^ "In land of 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game,' a hero rises". 12 October 2021. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  11. ^ 이재명 "노무현 대통령이 만들어준 길 따라 여기까지 와". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  12. ^ 분당 파크뷰 특혜분양 의혹 밝혀지나. KBS News (in Korean). 4 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  13. ^ 이재명 "성남의료원, 정치인 이재명의 시작". 뉴스1 (in Korean). 13 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e "[경기도지사 당선자 이재명 그는 누구인가]`흙수저` 소년공, 인권변호사 거쳐 `1300만 도정 책임자`로" (in Korean). Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  15. ^ 경기 성남시 모라토리엄 공방의 진실. Chosun (in Korean). 18 March 2014. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  16. ^ 애초에 존재하지 않았던 '성남 모라토리엄' (2). 한국경제 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Lee Jae-myung, a 'bulldozing public administrator' fearless of conflicts". 12 September 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  18. ^ 모란시장에서 개고기 사라진다 – 다음뉴스. 13 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Actress admits to affair with Lee Jae-myung". Korea JoongAng Daily. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Mature actress defends her troubled mother". 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  21. ^ a b "[파워엘리트] 이재명, 교복 부럽던 `소년공`에서 `대선 주자`까지" (in Korean). 11 January 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  22. ^ "14 mayors, governors file petition to save Lee Jae-myung's governorship". The Korea Herald. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  23. ^ 민주, 서울 박원순·경기 이재명·광주 이용섭 후보 확정(종합). 연합뉴스. 2018-04-20.
  24. ^ "Gov. Lee, chief prosecutor in close race in presidential hopefuls poll". Yonhap News Agency. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Lee Jae-Myung, a 'bulldozing public administrator' fearless of conflicts". 12 September 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  26. ^ "S.Korea rights panel probes whether mandated COVID-19 tests for foreigners is discriminatory". Thomson Reuters Foundation News. 19 March 2021. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Foreign residents call mandatory COVID-19 testing 'discrimination'". The Korea Times. 17 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  28. ^ "[News Focus] Foreign workers still face COVID-19 tests outside Seoul". The Korea Herald. 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  29. ^ 경기도, 외국인 코로나19 전수검사했더니...329명 확진. 연합뉴스TV (in Korean). 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  30. ^ [단독] 중대본 회의 343번 열릴 때 이재명 세 번 참석했다. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 23 February 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  31. ^ 이재명 "경기지사 1시간은 1,380만시간" 정세균 정조준...묘해진 與대선구도. The Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  32. ^ 이재명 "중대본 회의 결석? 1380만 경기도민 위해 시간 썼다". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  33. ^ Lee, Haye-ah (8 May 2022). "(LEAD) Lee Jae-myung declares bid for parliamentary seat in Incheon". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  34. ^ Lee, Minji (28 August 2022). "(2nd LD) Ex-presidential candidate Lee elected DP's new leader". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  35. ^ a b c d e Han-joo, Kim (2 January 2024). "(LEAD) Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung attacked during visit to Busan". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  36. ^ Ng, Kelly (2 January 2024). "Lee Jae-myung: South Korea opposition leader stabbed in neck on visit to Busan". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  37. ^ a b c d Park, Ju-Min; Shin, Hyonhee (2 January 2024). "South Korea opposition chief stabbed in neck, recovering after surgery". Reuters. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  38. ^ "South Korean opposition leader stabbed in neck, airlifted to hospital". Al Jazeera. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  39. ^ a b Martin, Timothy W.; Yoon, Dasi (2 January 2024). "Head of South Korean Opposition Party Is Stabbed". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  40. ^ a b c d "(7th LD) Attacked opposition leader Lee's surgery completed, progress closely monitored". Yonhap News Agency. 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  41. ^ Álvarez Bríñez, Ana Rocío; Hjelmgaard, Kim; Mayes-Osterman, Cybele. "President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declares martial law. Why, how opposition reacted". usatoday. USA Today. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  42. ^ Tong-hyung, Kim. "South Korean parliament votes to defy president by lifting his declaration of martial law". msn. AP. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  43. ^ Gregory, Andy; Thompson, Angus; Watling, Tom. "South Korean military vow to maintain martial law despite protests and parliament vote: Live updates". msn. The Independent. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  44. ^ "NIS deputy names leaders targeted by Yoon after martial law declaration". The Chosun Ilbo. 6 December 2024.
  45. ^ 홍장원 "尹, 계엄선포 후 '이번 기회에 잡아들여, 싹 다 정리' 지시". Daum. 6 December 2024.
  46. ^ "尹이 체포 지시한 인사엔...김명수·권순일·김민웅 그리고 김어준". Daum. 6 December 2024.
  47. ^ "South Korea opposition chief says ousting Yoon will be difficult". japantimes. Bloomberg. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  48. ^ Abraham, Hannah. "The leader of South Korea's opposition first thought the president's martial law declaration was a deepfake". Business Insider. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  49. ^ "Main opposition hails Yoon's impeachment motion passage as 'victory for people, democracy'". The Korea Times. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  50. ^ "문재인 1위… 이재명, 반기문 제치고 2위 껑충" (in Korean). 한국일보. 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  51. ^ "3위로 치고 나온 이재명, 초조해진 대선가도 잠룡들" (in Korean). 오수현. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  52. ^ '이재명 현상', 진보정치가 마땅히 채웠어야 할 공백의 다른 이름 ["Lee Jae Myung Phenomenon". Another name for the gap that progressive politics should have filled.]. Pressian (in Japanese). 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  53. ^ 완주 그리고 21.2%, '변방장수' 이재명의 도성 출전기. 오마이뉴스. 2017-04-03.
  54. ^ "Gyeonggi governor vows to tackle inequality, unfairness". 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  55. ^ Chung, Esther (10 October 2021). "Gov. Lee Jae-myung elected as DP's presidential candidate". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  56. ^ Kim, Jaewon (10 October 2021). "Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea ruling party's presidential primary". Nikkei Asia. Nikkei, Inc. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  57. ^ [속보] 이재명 민주당 대선후보 확정...누적 득표율 50.29%. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  58. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (9 March 2022). "South Korean Presidential Election: Opposition's Yoon Wins Tight Race for South Korean Presidency". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  59. ^ 이재명 측 "국가 주도 경제, 평소 생각 나타낸 발언" [Lee Jae-Myung's "State-led economy, what you usually think".]. JTBC. 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  60. ^ [전문]이재명 제1호 공약 '전환적 공정성장' 기자회견문. 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  61. ^ [전문] 이재명 공약 발표 "'전환적 공정성장' 통해 성장의 기회 만들 것". 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  62. ^ [창간17주년 2021 경제산업비전포럼] 이재명 "1호 공약 '전환적 공정성장'으로 위기를 기회로". 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  63. ^ 이재명 1호 공약 "전환적 공정성장"… '노동'만 25번 외쳤다". Money Today [ko]. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  64. ^ "尹 5.12, 安 5.95… 정책이념 때문에 단일화 안될 가능성 낮다 [중앙일보·정당학회 분석]". 24 January 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  65. ^ 이재명 "취득세도 낮추겠다"… 윤석열과 부동산 감세 경쟁. The Hankyoreh. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  66. ^ 이재명 "관료적 규제 없애야...내가 친기업 1등" [Lee Jae-myeong said, "We need to get rid of bureaucratic regulations… I'm the number 1 pro-business".]. Money Today [ko]. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021. 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".]
  67. ^ 법인세 인하·성장이 공정...與 주자들 '경제대통령' 앞세워 우회전. 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  68. ^ "Gyeonggi governor pledges to distribute universal basic income if elected president". 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  69. ^ 이재명 기본소득의 의의를 정당하게 평가하려면. 17 September 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  70. ^ "Lee Jae-myung, a 'bulldozing public administrator' fearless of conflicts". 11 September 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  71. ^ 경기도, 세계 첫 '데이터 배당' 시행...이재명 "데이터 주권 실행 신호탄". Yonhap News Agency. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  72. ^ 이재명, "데이터에서 나오는 이익, 제공자에게 돌려줘야". Maeil Business Newspaper. 8 September 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  73. ^ 이재명 "미·중 경쟁 속 '국익 중심 실용외교'로 대응해야"(종합). Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  74. ^ 외신 앞에 선 이재명, '다자외교·자유무역·한반도 평화' 강조. 메트로신문. 11 April 2023. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023. 그는 국력과 한미동맹이 뒷받침하는 포용적 다자외교로 전략적 자율성을 발휘할 때 '윈-윈'하는 결과를 얻어낼 수 있다고 강조했다. 또한 공정한 자유무역을 제안하면서 한미정상회담에서 대한민국 수출 효자 품목인 반도체에 대한 차별을 바로잡아야 한다고 했다.
  75. ^ a b [단독] 이재명 캠프 "중3 기본학습역량평가 도입"...통과 못하면 고교학점제 연계 보완. 교육플러스(eduplus) (in Korean). 3 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  76. ^ 이재명 후보, '1차 청년공약' 발표··· 청년에게 연 100만원 지급. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  77. ^ "Archived copy". amnesty.or.kr. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  78. ^ 강, 민경. 이재명 "차별금지법 일방통행식 처리 바람직하지 않아". Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  79. ^ 이재명 대표 "21대 국회서 차별금지법 통과 않겠다". 아이굿뉴스 (in Korean). 1 June 2023. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  80. ^ "광기 페미니즘" 글 공유한 이재명...이대남 잡고 페미 손절? [Lee Jaemyeong, who shared a message saying "crazy feminism"… This antagonizing feminism in partnership with a man in his 20s?]. JoongAng Ilbo. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021. '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.
  81. ^ 20대 여성은 청년 아닌듯...이·윤, 남성 표심잡기 매몰 [Aren't 20s women in their young people?… Lee and Yoon were buried only in catching male votes.]. The Hankyoreh. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021. 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.
  82. ^ 혐오를 이용하는 치졸한 정치, 이제는 멈추자 [Cheap politics that uses hatred. Let's stop now]. Pressian. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  83. ^ 이재명, "광기의 페미니즘 멈춰달라" 글 SNS 공유 [Lee Jae-myung shared an article on SNS that said, "Please stop feminism of madness."]. Korea Economic Daily. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  84. ^ a b 이재명의 청년에 여성 자리는 없나": 심상정 "李, 反페미니즘 자처 [Is there no female position in Lee Jae-myung says "young people"?: Sim Sang-jung said, "Lee (Jae-myung) claims to be anti-feminist".]. The Chosun Ilbo. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  85. ^ 안철수 "尹·洪, 이대남 눈치보며 여성공약...이재명, 편가르기". JoongAng Ilbo. 11 October 2020. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  86. ^ 이재명, '낙태' 대신 '임신중지'… "임신중지에 건강보험 적용하겠다". Women News [ko]. 27 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  87. ^ "The South Korean Presidential Hopeful Who Believes His Childhood Can Help Him Heal His Nation". Time. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023. Lee is also campaigning on progressive policies like ensuring that at least 30% of top officials are women.
  88. ^ 이재명, 여가부 폐지 반대...민주 "이대남 결집, 정쟁 유발 의도". Hani. 9 October 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  89. ^ 이재명 "여성 차별·구조적 불평등은 현실…극복 노력 폄훼 말아야". Korean Broadcasting System. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  90. ^ 이재명 "여성의 더 나은 삶 보장"...여성공약 발표. Yonhap News Agency. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  91. ^ 이재명, 정부 '이민청' 설립 추진에 "코리안 악몽 되지 않아야". Kyeong-gi Shinmun [ko]. 19 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023. 이재명 더불어민주당 대표가 "코리안 드림이 코리안 악몽이 되지 않아야 한다"며 국내 이주노동자들의 처우 개선을 위한 제도적 개선책 수립을 촉구했다.
  92. ^ 민주당 법무부 이민관리청 신설 '반대'가닥. Jeonbuk Ilbo [ko] 인터넷신문 (in Korean). 11 December 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  93. ^ 이재명, '대전환 시대의 통일외교 구상' 발표.."실용적 방향으로 전환 필요". 스트레이트뉴스 (in Korean). 22 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  94. ^ a b c d News), 경기일보(Kyeonggi Daily (22 August 2021). 이재명, "北 조건부 제재완화·단계적 동시행동"…통일외교 구상 발표. 경기일보 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  95. ^ Oh, Seung-hoon (17 January 2017). 이재명 "사드 문제 어렵지만 그거 하라고 권력 주는 것". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  96. ^ 이재명, 사드배치 말 바꿔" vs "이낙연, 盧 균형자론 비판하더니. Newsis (in Korean). 11 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  97. ^ 이재명, 美유명 평론지에 "미국, 한국 혈맹이자 유일한 동맹". 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  98. ^ 이재명 측 "한복 넘보는 중국 문화공정, 이대로 방치하지 않겠다". 5 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  99. ^ '반중' 올라탄 대선후보들...이재명 "불법어선 격침" 발언까지. The Hankyoreh. 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  100. ^ Park, Chan-kyong (25 March 2024). "Say 'xie xie' and forget Taiwan? South Korea's Yoon taps public resentment to snub calls for better Beijing ties". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  101. ^ 한미일 군사훈련···극단적 친일행위" "문재인 때 3국 합의···죽창가 선동질. 7 October 2022. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  102. ^ "한반도에 다시 욱일기 걸릴수도"..이재명, 연합훈련 비판. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  103. ^ 이재명 "일본, 군사적으로는 한국의 적성국가". 14 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  104. ^ 이재명 외교참모 위성락 "한일 지소미아 상징성 있고 중요". Yonhap News Agency. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  105. ^ 이재명 "침략국인 일본이 분단됐어야 했는데...". Asiae (in Korean). 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  106. ^ 민주 "6개월 초보 대통령"… '우크라 침공 책임' 발언 논란. 쿠키뉴스. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  107. ^ 이재명 "우크라 무기지원은 러시아 내 우리 기업에 사실상 폐업선고". 연합인포맥스. 21 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  108. ^ 이재명 "박정희 경부고속도처럼, 난 에너지 고속도 깔겠다". JoongAng Ilbo. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  109. ^ 이재명, '좌파'보다 '박정희'에 가깝다 [Lee Jae-Myung. It's more like "Park Chung-hee" than "Left".]. The Dong-A Ilbo. 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  110. ^ 이재명 '전두환 성과' 발언에, 심상정 "국민의힘 후보 될 것". JoongAng Ilbo. 12 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  111. ^ 국민의힘, '전두환 경제는 성과' 이재명에 "우리당 후보 해도 되겠다". Kukmin Ilbo. 13 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  112. ^ "[사설] "전두환 경제는 성과" 이재명, 지향하는 가치가 뭔가". The Hankyoreh. 12 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  113. ^ '그것이 알고싶다' 은수미 성남시장·이재명 경기도지사 조폭 연루설 대해부 '충격'. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 22 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  114. ^ "Actress admits to affair with Lee Jae-myung". Korea JoongAng Daily. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  115. ^ 경찰 "'혜경궁 김씨'는 이재명 부인 김혜경씨"… 수사결과 확인. bHani (in Korean). 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  116. ^ 최, 해민 (11 December 2018). 검찰, 왜 유독 '혜경궁 김씨'만 경찰 기소의견 뒤집었나?. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  117. ^ "[Who is ?#93; 이재명 경기도 도지사". 29 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  118. ^ 결국 살아남은 이재명... 대법, '형 강제입원' 무죄 취지 판결. 르몽드디플로마티크 (in Korean). 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  119. ^ 이재명 형 강제입원 지시 맞지만, 처벌은 불가능하다는 대법. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  120. ^ "전관예우 뿌리 뽑자더니..." 이재명 호화 변호인단 구성 논란. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  121. ^ 이재명 지사, 무죄 판결 이유는?. 리걸타임즈 (in Korean). 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  122. ^ "DP's Lee Jae-myung questioned as suspect for first time". Korea JoongAng Daily. 10 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  123. ^ Joh, Yun-yeong; Oh, Yeon-seo. "Top opposition leader Lee avoids arrest in unexpectedly close vote". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  124. ^ [대선 이슈페이퍼 - 이재명] 대장동 개발 논란. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 20 December 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  125. ^ Shin, Hyonhee (22 March 2023). "South Korea indicts opposition leader Lee over property graft". Reuters.
  126. ^ Lee, Michael (21 September 2023). "National Assembly clears way for DP leader's arrest". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  127. ^ Hwang, Seok-Joo (21 September 2023). "Justice minister on opposition leader's arrest warrant". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  128. ^ "National Assembly clears way for DP leader's arrest". Korea JoongAng Daily. 21 September 2023. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  129. ^ Yim, Hyunsu (27 September 2023). "South Korea opposition leader avoids jail after court rejects warrant". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  130. ^ 이, 준희 (12 June 2024). 검찰, 이재명 '쌍방울 대북송금' 기소…제3자 뇌물 혐의. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  131. ^ "South Korean opposition leader indicted on bribery charges". Voice of America. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  132. ^ "South Korean opposition leader convicted for violating election law". Al Jazeera. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  133. ^ "Seoul court acquits South Korean opposition leader on charges of instigating perjury". Associated Press. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by
Lee Dae-yup
Mayor of Seongnam
2010–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Gyeonggi Province
2018–2021
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for President of South Korea
2022
Most recent
Preceded by Leader of the Democratic Party
2022–present
Incumbent
National Assembly of the Republic of Korea
Preceded by Member of the National Assembly for Incheon Gyeyang B
2022–present
Incumbent