Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

Al Jazeera

Politics

John Power

Who is Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s new president?

Lee Jaemyung Lee Jinman Lee Junseok South Korea Democratic Party Yoon Sukyeol the Democratic Party Kim Moonsoo Seoul Al Jazeera

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, campaigns in Seoul, South Korea, on May 12, 2025 [Lee Jin-man/AP]

Lee Jae-myung’s hardscrabble path to the South Korean presidency mirrors his country’s stratospheric rise from grinding poverty to one of the world’s leading economies.

When Lee, a scandal-prone school dropout-turned-lawyer who was elected in a landslide on Tuesday, was born in 1963, South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was comparable with sub-Saharan African nations.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Ivan Milat was convicted of seven murders and died in prison in 2019

The Independent UK

On the barricades with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys: Paris students rage at politicians and police

On the barricades with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys: Paris students rage at politicians and police

Unprecedented protests that began in low-income banlieue are turning ugly, with investigations under way into police brutality

The Guardian - UK

Broward County Confirms Its First Locally Acquired Dengue Case This Year, Placing Fort Lauderdale Area Under Mosquito Advisory

Broward County Confirms Its First Locally Acquired Dengue Case This Year, Placing Fort Lauderdale Area Under Mosquito Advisory

Broward County confirmed a locally acquired dengue case on Oct. 5 and issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory. Here is what residents should know.

Father-of-four collapses and dies while running first half marathon

Father-of-four collapses and dies while running first half marathon

John Meise was taking part in the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon in Wisconsin when he collapsed not far from the finish line

The Independent UK

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

'Black Death Plague' Outbreak Reportedly Predicted by Mystic Baba Vanga as Russian Hospitals Lock Down

'Black Death Plague' Outbreak Reportedly Predicted by Mystic Baba Vanga as Russian Hospitals Lock Down

A Russian laboratory worker's death has prompted plague fears and Baba Vanga prophecy claims online, but authorities and the WHO say no plague outbreak has been confirmed.

International Business Times UK

Democrats upbeat as unpopular Trump imperils Republican midterm hopes

Democrats upbeat as unpopular Trump imperils Republican midterm hopes

Polls show GOP candidates trailing Democrats in Senate races, and Republicans also struggling in House contests

The Guardian - US

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Backpacker serial killer linked to 30 more cases in Australia

Ivan Milat was convicted of seven murders and died in prison in 2019

The Independent UK

On the barricades with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys: Paris students rage at politicians and police

On the barricades with wheelie bins and shopping trolleys: Paris students rage at politicians and police

Unprecedented protests that began in low-income banlieue are turning ugly, with investigations under way into police brutality

The Guardian - UK

Broward County Confirms Its First Locally Acquired Dengue Case This Year, Placing Fort Lauderdale Area Under Mosquito Advisory

Broward County Confirms Its First Locally Acquired Dengue Case This Year, Placing Fort Lauderdale Area Under Mosquito Advisory

Broward County confirmed a locally acquired dengue case on Oct. 5 and issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory. Here is what residents should know.

Father-of-four collapses and dies while running first half marathon

Father-of-four collapses and dies while running first half marathon

John Meise was taking part in the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon in Wisconsin when he collapsed not far from the finish line

The Independent UK

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

'Black Death Plague' Outbreak Reportedly Predicted by Mystic Baba Vanga as Russian Hospitals Lock Down

'Black Death Plague' Outbreak Reportedly Predicted by Mystic Baba Vanga as Russian Hospitals Lock Down

A Russian laboratory worker's death has prompted plague fears and Baba Vanga prophecy claims online, but authorities and the WHO say no plague outbreak has been confirmed.

International Business Times UK

Democrats upbeat as unpopular Trump imperils Republican midterm hopes

Democrats upbeat as unpopular Trump imperils Republican midterm hopes

Polls show GOP candidates trailing Democrats in Senate races, and Republicans also struggling in House contests

The Guardian - US

Our Picks

There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow

Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.

How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections

Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device?

The Conversation

Holding Lightning by Emily Lordi review – an intimate portrait of Whitney Houston

An empathetic biography of the the singer recasts her tumultuous later career as a triumph of self-expression

The Guardian - UK

Brian May says Queen are retiring from live tours: ‘Maybe 50 years is enough’

Rock guitarist suggested creating an interactive experience for fans similar to the ‘Abba Voyage’ show

The Independent UK

"Lanterns" finds its power in fear

To fulfill his destiny, John Stewart embraces what he was trained to reject — and so should we

Robert De Niro's canine secret leaves Wag the Dog co-star Woody Harrelson shocked

Woody Harrelson revealed his surprise at discovering that his Wag the Dog co-star Robert De Niro owns 18 dogs, two of which starred alongside him in his movie The Alto Knights.

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play