Former DP leader unveils his policy vision for new gov’t in presidential bid

Presidential hopeful Lee Jae-myung, former Democratic Party leader, vowed to transform South Korea into a “first mover” on the global stage, as he announced his policy vision for a new government Friday, a day after declaring his bid for presidency.

In his policy roadmap for the next government, Lee said, if elected, he will focus on overcoming the aftermath of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid and propping up the country’s stalled economic growth.

“We must overcome the national crisis and restore livelihoods, peace and democracy,” he said during a press conference at the National Assembly.

“We must revive our stalled economy.”

Lee is widely considered the front-runner for the June 3 election, with early opinion polls showing his lead against presidential aspirants from the People Power Party.

Earlier in the day, he also pledged to serve as an “excellent tool” for the people and to turn crises into opportunities to open a new era of his national vision, dubbed the “K-initiative.”

Calling the next five years a “decisive period that will determine the nation’s fate,” he called for a “paradigm shift from copying to leading” other countries so that South Korea can “survive the fierce global battleground.”

“A global war of ‘America First’ has begun under President Trump’s second term,” he said. “The ideological and factional battles within the country are all trivial compared to the enormous survival challenges we face.”

This is Lee’s third presidential bid, following 2017 and 2022. He lost the presidential race to Yoon by a thin margin three years ago.

The upcoming election is triggered by Yoon’s ouster over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.