From Factory Worker to Head of State: Lee Jae-myung Becomes President of South Korea

4th June 2025

4 minutes read

From Factory Worker to Head of State: Lee Jae-myung Becomes President of South Korea

From humble beginnings as a factory worker to becoming president of the nation, Lee Jae-myung has risen to South Korea’s highest office amid deep national challenges.

On Wednesday, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was sworn in as President of South Korea following a dramatic early election, held just six months after former president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, throwing the country into turmoil.

Official results showed that Lee secured victory by nearly three million votes over his main opponent, Kim Moon-soo, of the ruling conservative People Power Party.

Speaking before a crowd of supporters in Seoul, Lee pledged to “revive the economy” from day one and to ensure that no future military coups take place.

South Korea’s economy has struggled in recent months, with rising living costs and declining consumer spending. Trade talks with the United States over former President Donald Trump’s tariffs are ongoing, though no agreement has yet been reached.

The country also faces major domestic issues, including an aging population, a falling birth rate, and heightened geopolitical tensions with China and North Korea.

Who Is Lee Jae-myung?

Lee rose to political prominence early, despite ongoing legal challenges and allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

He was born into poverty and began his working life in a factory before becoming a human rights lawyer and entering politics. He has served as mayor of Seongnam (pop. ~1 million) and governor of Gyeonggi Province.

He became a member of parliament after narrowly losing the 2022 presidential election to Yoon Suk-yeol.

Survivor and Crisis Figure

In January 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt when a man stabbed him in the neck during a public event in Busan. He underwent surgery but was not in critical condition.

Later that year, he made headlines again during the night President Yoon declared martial law and sent troops to parliament. Lee was among the lawmakers who rushed to the building and forced their way past soldiers to hold an emergency vote to revoke the decree.

A video of him jumping over a fence to enter the parliament building went viral, drawing tens of millions of views.

Political and Economic Promises

Throughout his campaign — often delivered behind bulletproof glass and wearing a protective vest — Lee pledged political and economic reforms. These include limiting the president’s power to declare martial law and amending the constitution to allow two four-year presidential terms instead of the current single five-year term.

He also vowed to support small businesses and promote artificial intelligence development.

On foreign policy, he emphasized easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula while maintaining the long-term goal of denuclearizing North Korea. His aides say human rights will be central to dealings with Pyongyang, including talks on returning any surviving prisoners of war from the 1950–1953 conflict.

Controversy and Legal Troubles

Lee is also embroiled in ongoing legal battles, including several trials over alleged bribery and a property development scandal. He has been convicted of violating election law in a separate case, accused of knowingly making a false statement during a presidential debate. The case is currently under appeal.

He denies all charges, telling CNN in December that the accusations are politically motivated and lack any real evidence.

Critics see Lee as a polarizing figure who openly opposes former president Yoon and obstructs key legislation from the previous administration.

Diplomatic Balancing Act

Lee’s team has pledged to rebuild trust with the United States, which advisors say was strained during the martial law crisis.

Experts note that the Biden administration was caught off guard by the sudden democratic threat in a country where Washington had heavily invested in strengthening a historic security alliance with Seoul and Tokyo.

Ahead of the election, Lee’s foreign policy advisor, Wi Sung-lak, stated that the alliance with Washington would remain the “cornerstone” of South Korea’s diplomacy.

Relations with China and Russia—strained in recent years—will be managed through “strategic engagement,” with Lee’s camp asserting that peace and security in the region require open dialogue with both nations.

Meanwhile, Seoul continues trade talks with the U.S. over Trump-era tariffs, including a 25% duty on South Korean exports, automobiles, and steel. Trump has proposed additional tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals—two pillars of South Korea’s economy.