![]() “That desperate sense has definitely been a driving force for me in pursuing my political career.” (In April 2020, a record 57 women were elected to the 300-seat parliament though just 19%, the proportion was the highest ever since democratization in 1987.) It’s an urge that comes from “actually going through and experiencing myself,” he says. Lee is also campaigning on progressive policies like ensuring that at least 30% of top officials are women. ![]() ![]() presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has previously advocated a similar scheme). (Finland ran a UBI experiment from 2017 to 2018, and Democratic U.S. It would make South Korea the only major economy to adopt a UBI, at a time of soaring inequality. He shot to national prominence through his uncompromising handling of the COVID-19 pandemic-even tactfully negotiating with the leader of a shadowy religious sect to allow testing within his commune-and advocating for universal basic income (UBI), where 1 million won ($840) would eventually be given to every citizen. Lee, 57, served as mayor of the city of Seongnam for seven years and, until the campaign, was governor of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and is South Korea’s most populous. (Lee is representing the same Democratic Party as Moon, who is constitutionally ineligible to stand for a second term.) Voters are demanding that whoever ends up in the presidential Blue House dismantle the rampant inequality that plagues South Korean society, a condition underscored by a series of scandals that emerged during the tenure of incumbent President Moon Jae-in, such as local officials using insider knowledge to speculate on property while housing prices soar. If Lee is successful in South Korea’s March 9 election, then he’ll have to smash through more than just boards. “All Korean men know the basics of taekwondo.” “My staff asked me to do it,” Lee laughs, throwing a stiff jab at his laptop lens during our Zoom interview. But it’s a brave parent who offers their infant to Lee Jae-myung, whose signature moves on the campaign trail are taekwondo kicks and punches, shattering boards labeled “COVID-19 crisis” and “pain of small business owners” in front of whooping supporters. ![]() It’s an old cliche that presidential hopefuls win votes by kissing babies. ![]()
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