Lee Jae-myung

Lee Jae-myung
이재명
Lee in 2021
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 byOh Byeong-kwon (acting)
Kim Dong-yeon
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 60)
Andong, South Korea
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Kim Hye-kyung
(m. 1991)
Children2
EducationChung-Ang University (LLB)
Gachon University (MPA)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • author
ProfessionLawyer
Signature
WebsiteOffice website
Korean name
Hangul
이재명
Hanja
李在明
Revised RomanizationI Jaemyeong
McCune–ReischauerYi Chaemyŏng

Lee Jae-myung (Korean: 이재명; born 8 December 1963, Andong) is a South Korean lawyer and 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 2022.

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.