Seoul, June 4 : South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is poised for a political comeback in the country’s presidential election, two years after a narrow defeat and amid ongoing legal troubles and political upheaval.
Lee, 60, the Democratic Party candidate, has consistently led in opinion polls ahead of the June 3 vote, triggered by the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his controversial attempt to impose martial law in December.
A former factory worker-turned-lawyer, Lee has built a loyal support base by highlighting his working-class origins and populist message. He suffered a disabling injury during his early years in a sweatshop, later earning a scholarship to study law and passing the bar to become a human rights attorney.
“You can worry about people outside shivering in the cold while you sit in your warm living room,” Lee said in a 2022 interview. “But you can never really understand their pain.”
His main rival, conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, has narrowed the gap in recent weeks, but Lee has remained the frontrunner since the leadership crisis engulfed the ruling party.
Live-streamed resistance
During the December martial law declaration, Lee captured national attention by live-streaming his efforts to scale the fence of the National Assembly as lawmakers rushed to override Yoon’s decree. “It was a race against time,” Lee recalled.
The move helped cement his role as a central figure in the political crisis that led to Yoon’s suspension and boosted his public support. Lee previously served as mayor of Seongnam, where he closed South Korea’s largest dog meat market, and later as governor of Gyeonggi Province, the country’s most populous region.
He narrowly lost the 2022 presidential race to Yoon in one of South Korea’s closest-ever elections. In 2024, Lee survived an assassination attempt after being stabbed in the neck by a man who said he wanted to prevent him from becoming president. Lee underwent emergency surgery and returned to the campaign trail weeks later.
Legal headwinds
Lee’s campaign has been clouded by multiple legal challenges, including allegations of corruption related to a real estate development and charges of spreading false information during an election campaign.
The Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s acquittal on one of the election law charges in May and ordered a retrial. However, the Seoul High Court postponed proceedings until after the election.
If elected, Lee would enjoy presidential immunity from prosecution during his five-year term. Lee has denied any wrongdoing, calling the cases politically motivated. “With these kinds of corruption allegations, how can you seek public office?” Kim Moon-soo said during a recent televised debate.
Policy pledges
Lee has promised to expand South Korea’s artificial intelligence industry and position the country among the top three AI powers globally. He has also vowed to prosecute those involved in the martial law attempt, pledging to “bring insurrection elements to justice.”
Despite criticism for his confrontational political style, his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, said in a 2017 interview that Lee’s rhetoric stems from a need to be heard. “He’s someone who’s come up from the margins, from the very bottom,” she said. “Just like how a flea has to jump to be noticed, I hope people can understand and view him in that context.”
Regional dynamics
Lee’s rise comes as South Korea navigates tense regional dynamics. Tehran’s influence has waned due to military setbacks, and Israel has repeatedly warned it could strike Iranian nuclear sites. Lee has dismissed Israeli threats, calling such an attack “a mistake.”
The outcome of Tuesday’s vote will determine whether Lee’s populist brand of politics and legal troubles help or hinder his bid to lead Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
