Tag - lee-jae-myung

 
 

LEE JAE MYUNG

The election of Lee Jae-myung signals South Korea’s leftward shift on energy policy, but despite his ambitious renewable plans, deep-rooted regulatory, financial and geographic challenges threaten to stall progress unless reforms are swift and systemic.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 5, 2025
South Korea's new president has a chance to clean up
Years of inertia and obstruction of the transition have left the country with a system plagued by high costs and the lowest renewable penetration among developed economies.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung waves with his his wife, Kim Hye-gyeong, following his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 4, 2025
South Korea’s Lee pledges to heal deep wounds as ‘president for everyone’
Lee Jae-myung, in his inauguration speech, said his government would continue his predecessor’s policy of strengthening cooperation with Japan.
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's  candidate in South Korea's presidential election, speaks during his final campaign event in Seoul on Monday night ahead of Tuesday's vote.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 3, 2025
Lee Jae-myung projected to win South Korean presidential election
Lee, the front-runner in the race since campaigning began, secured 51.7% of the vote — a 12.4 percentage point lead over conservative rival Kim Moon-soo — according to exit polls.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, gestures outside a polling station after casting an early vote for the upcoming presidential election, in Seoul on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2025
South Korea's presidential front-runner backs nuclear power — for now
Lee Jae-myung supports extending the life of existing nuclear plants, but opposes new reactors.
Voters take part in early voting for the upcoming presidential election at a polling station at the Incheon International Airport, South Korea, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2025
Wave of anger could sweep liberals to victory in South Korea election
The months of chaos that followed former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December remain fresh on the minds of voters.
A woman walks past posters of South Korea's presidential candidates on Saturday, ahead of the upcoming June 3 election in Seoul.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2025
Misinformation hits South Korea's upcoming election
Many of the claims focus on foreign interference, tapping into local fears of meddling by China, or fabricating support.
A banner showing Lee Jae-myung (left), the South Korean presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, and Kim Moon-soo, the candidate for the conservative People Power Party, outside a polling station in Seoul on Friday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 1, 2025
South Korean presidential election set to reshape diplomatic chessboard
Liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung is projected to sail to a win that could shake up ties with Japan and the U.S. and kick-start talks with North Korea.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, speaks during a news conference after casting his early vote for the upcoming presidential election in Seoul on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 29, 2025
Martial law put Lee Jae-myung back on track for South Korean presidency
The liberal politician favored to become the country's next leader has overcome a knife attack and criminal charges on his unexpected path back toward the top post.
Seol Nan-young, the wife of South Korea's main conservative party candidate, during an event in Seoul on May 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 27, 2025
Candidate spouses take center stage in South Korea's heated presidential race
The wife of South Korea's main conservative party candidate is campaigning on her own to tarnish the image of the liberal front-runner and his spouse.
Supporters of South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung listen to a speech during a campaign event in Uijeongbu, in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 27, 2025
South Korea's liberal candidate Lee in the lead a week before presidential vote
The deeply polarized country is set to hold a snap election on June 3 to pick a successor to Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted on April 4.
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign event in the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea, on May 20.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 26, 2025
South Korea's Lee pledges to restore hotline with North Korea
The front-runner in South Korea's presidential election laid out a noticeably softer approach to the nuclear-armed North than his predecessor.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, prepares for the second televised debate for the upcoming presidential election in Seoul on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 25, 2025
South Korea presidential front-runner Lee suggests extending U.S. tariff talks
Lee Jae-myung said the deadline to reach a deal needs to be reconsidered to find a mutually beneficial agreement between the two allies.
South Korean presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung (left), of the Democratic Party,  and Kim Moon-soo, of the People Power Party, shake hands as they prepare for the second televised debate for the upcoming presidential election in Seoul on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 24, 2025
South Korean presidential race tightens sharply after TV debate
The Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung's support rate fell to 45%, while backing for the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo rose to 36%, according to a poll released Friday.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, gestures during an election campaign rally in Seoul on Monday. Officials in Tokyo are closely watching Lee’s remarks for hints of how bilateral relations could shift if he is elected.
JAPAN / Politics
May 21, 2025
South Korean presidential front-runner says he's not hostile toward Japan
Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung has in recent months sought to highlight a more centrist agenda ahead of the presidential election.
Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate for South Korea's conservative People Power Party, attends an election campaign rally in Seoul on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 19, 2025
South Korean conservative presidential candidate open to discussing U.S. troop costs
South Korea's conservative presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo said on Monday he was willing to discuss sharing more of the cost of stationing the U.S. military in the country.
South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung speaks in Goyang, South Korea, on April 27.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 14, 2025
South Korean think tank halves 2025 growth forecast to 0.8%
The revised outlook reflects the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign on the trade-reliant nation as its presidential race hits full swing.
Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, attend an election campaign rally in Seoul on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 12, 2025
Election campaigning kicks off in South Korea
Polls are showing the main opposition Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung as the front-runner by a large margin, with 43% support.
Kim Moon-soo, a presidential candidate for South Korea's conservative People Power Party, speaks during a debate in Seoul on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 11, 2025
South Korea's conservatives settle on Kim Moon-soo as presidential candidate
South Korea's conservatives made another about-face on Saturday and reinstated their presidential nominee, Kim Moon-soo, just hours after dropping him.
Lee Jae-myung, of South Korea's Democratic Party, celebrates after winning the final race to choose the party's candidate for the upcoming presidential election during a national convention in Goyang, South Korea, on April 27.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 7, 2025
South Korea court to hear top presidential candidate's case after election
The high court delayed its first hearing on leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s election violation case until June 18, two weeks after the poll.
In South Korea, where presidents are increasingly investigated, impeached or imprisoned, the judiciary has become a well-known pathway to political power.
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2025
Is the judiciary the weakest link in South Korea’s democracy?
It’s not unusual for lawyers to pursue personal political ambitions during their careers in democracies. But in South Korea, this has reached a level not seen elsewhere.

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic