Lee Jae-myung
Lee Jae-myung (Korean: 이재명; born 22 December 1964) is a South Korean politician serving as a member of the National Assembly and the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee was the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2022 South Korean presidential election. He was the 35th Governor of Gyeonggi Province from 2018 to 2021.
Lee Jae-myung | |
|---|---|
이재명 | |
Official portrait, 2022 | |
| Leader of the Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 28 August 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Woo Sang-ho |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| Assumed office 2 June 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Song Young-gil |
| Constituency | Gyeyang B (Incheon) |
| 35th Governor of Gyeonggi Province | |
| In office 1 July 2018 – 25 October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Nam Kyung-pil |
| Succeeded by | Oh Byeong-kwon (acting) Kim Dong-yeon |
| 19th Mayor of Seongnam | |
| In office 1 July 2010 – 15 March 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Lee Dae-yup |
| Succeeded by | Eun Su-mi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 December 1964 Andong, South Korea |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Kim Hye-kyung (m. 1991) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Chung-Ang University (LLB) Gachon University (MPA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature | |
| Website | Office website |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이재명 |
| Hanja | 李在明 |
| Revised Romanization | I Jaemyeong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Chaemyŏng |
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. Afterwards, Lee was elected to the National Assembly, and became the leader of the Democratic Party. In January 2024, he survived being stabbed in the neck during an assassination attempt in Busan while he was campaigning for the 2024 legislative elections.