Lee Jae-myung, the liberal South Korean politician favored 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 (DP) candidate, Lee leads his conservative opponents by wide margins in most polls ahead of the June 3 snap election called after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his brief attempt at martial law in December.
Lee's unlikely journey from child laborer 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 him of obstruction in justifying the martial law decree that led to the deposed former president's ouster.
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