Outspoken Korea leftist Lee Jae-myung survived stabbing on path to power

South Korea's new president has spent a lifetime picking himself off the canvas to fight again

- Bloomberg

Lee Jae-myung, the tenacious left-leaning maverick who became South Korea's new president Wednesday, has spent a lifetime picking himself off the canvas to fight again.

Lying on a hospital bed in intensive care after an assailant stabbed him in the jugular in early 2024, Lee was battling for his life. For many politicians that might have been the right time to throw in the towel on a career of public service, but these are the moments of adversity that fire Lee up.

Much like US President Donald Trump, who also suffered an assassination attempt in 2024, Lee finds political capital and motivation in the setbacks and opposition he faces as he refuses thoughts of giving up.

"Since my life was saved by our people, I will dedicate the rest of it solely to serving them," Lee said as he left hospital after eight days of hospitalization following the attack in the port city of Busan. "If we can restore politics based on respect and coexistence, I'll have no regrets even if that takes up the rest of my life."

Lee's populist delivery has sometimes drawn parallels with the US president, but the South Korean's policies have in the past hewed much closer to the progressive values of Bernie Sanders.

But with momentum favouring him in the chaos that followed former president Yoon Suk Yeol's botched attempt to impose martial law six months ago, Lee has inched ever closer to the political centre. The shift underscores his determination to finally get across the finish line and become the nation's leader, following his razor-thin loss to Yoon three years ago.