From factory floor to presidential office: Lee Jae-myung's rise to presidency

Up next, our Park Kun-woo explains who Lee Jae-myung is and his journey from the factory floor to the nation's highest office.

Even his biggest critics won't be able to deny that Lee Jae-myung, the newly elected president of South Korea, is self-made.

Lee, who is 61 years old, was born in Andong as the fifth of seven children.

Facing severe financial hardship, he inflated his age to work in factories, and suffered from industrial accidents one leaving his arm permanently disabled and exempting him from military service.

Despite this, he studied on his own to pass middle and high school equivalency exams, later earning a college scholarship.

The year he graduated, he also passed South Korea's notoriously difficult bar exam, setting him on the path to becoming a human rights lawyer.

And his background as an underage laborer and human rights lawyer heavily influenced his political career, which began as the city of Seongnam's mayor in 2010, and drove his focus on policies addressing social conflict and inequality.

"Lee Jae-myung identified polarization and significant disparity as the root causes of social conflict. So he suggested artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and the cultural content sectors, to maintain growth and to reduce our social division."

After gaining attention for his bold, progressive policies as mayor, he went on to become the governor of Gyeonggi-do Province, which expanded his political base and helped launch his presidential runs.

Although he narrowly lost to former president Yoon Suk-yeol by just 0-point-73 percentage points in 2022 one of the tightest races in Korean history Yoon's failed attempt to invoke martial law later paved the way for Lee's ultimately successful bid this year.

But while his rags-to-riches story inspired many, the nation's deep political divide was laid bare when he was stabbed by an assailant posing as a supporter last year.

With polarization remaining a pressing issue, Lee's emphasis on the importance of unity throughout the campaign signals that national cohesion will be a key theme of his presidency.

"One of our biggest challenges is achieving social unity. This is essential to restoring livelihoods, reviving the economy, and building a democracy where everyone shares opportunities and hope."

Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.