South Korea martial law put Lee Jae-myung back on track for presidency

27/4/2025 17:40

Lee Jae-myung, the liberal South Korean politician favoured to become the country's next leader, has overcome a knife attack, martial law and criminal charges on his unexpected path back toward the presidency.



Named the Democratic Party's candidate on Sunday, Lee leads potential conservative opponents by double digits in most polls ahead of the June 3 snap election called after Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his brief attempt at martial law in December.



Lee's unlikely journey from child labourer to human rights lawyer to governor known for his COVID-19 response reached the top level when he narrowly lost the presidency to Yoon, who later accused Lee of obstruction in justifying the martial law decree that led to Yoon's ouster.



If elected, Lee, 61, called a "gladiator in a suit" by one adviser, would face the task of soothing polarised politics and addressing rising economic concerns while negotiating with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on everything from tariffs to the cost of hosting American troops in the country.