by 
International Desk : Once a garment factory worker, Lee Jae-myung is now on the verge of becoming South Korea’s president. His remarkable journey has captured attention not only in South Korea but also in international media. As a child, Lee left school to support his family by working in factories. Despite a severe elbow injury from an accident, he earned a scholarship to study law and established himself as a lawyer, shaping him into a voice for the common people.
Lee’s political career is filled with dramatic turns. In the 2022 presidential election, he narrowly lost to Yoon Suk Yeol. However, following Yoon’s impeachment and removal over declaring martial law, a snap election was scheduled for June 3, 2025, where Lee, as the Democratic Party candidate, is a frontrunner. In 2024, an assailant stabbed him in the neck during a rally, aiming to derail his presidential ambitions, but Lee survived and regained public support.
His pledges include elevating South Korea’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry to the global top three and bringing those involved in the martial law declaration to justice. As mayor of Seongnam, Lee shut down the country’s largest dog meat market, and he later served successfully as governor of Gyeonggi Province.
However, Lee faces allegations of corruption, including irregularities in a real estate project and concealing information under election laws, which he claims are politically motivated. His rival, Kim Moon-soo, has questioned how Lee can pursue public service amid such allegations. In response, Lee stated, “You can think about people shivering on the streets from a cold room, but to truly understand their struggles, you have to have been there yourself.”
Many in South Korea believe that Lee Jae-myung, who rose from a garment worker, could be their next leader.
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