Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea ruling party's presidential primary

[Klaralven]

SEOUL -- The son of street cleaner from outside South Korea's political elite was named Sunday as the ruling Democratic Party's candidate for the presidential election next March.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung picked up 50.3% of the vote over three rounds of polling by members of President Moon Jae-in's center-left party and citizens. He beat former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon into second place with 39.1%.

Lee, 56, was born into a poor family in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. After graduating from elementary school, he worked at factories in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province while studying for his middle school and high school diplomas. Lee went on to read legal studies at Chung-Ang University in Seoul and passed the bar in 1986.

He is well known for his clear messages and radical economic policies that include the introduction of a universal basic income. He is nicknamed "Sprite" -- the fizzy drink is a term used by South Koreans a metaphor for a person with an aggressive and unstoppable character.

"I will make the Republic of Korea surpass Japan, catch up advanced countries and finally lead the world," Lee proclaimed after winning the nomination.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/South-Korea-election/Lee-Jae-myung-wins-South-Korea-ruling-party-s-presidential-primary

[Sympthsical]

1. Ok, but does he have a secret daughter with a special forces bodyguard?

I may be watching the K2 on Netflix.

He's a pretty complicated figure. He has a kind of economic populism in the Bernie Sanders vein, but he's much more of a hardliner on foreign policy than you would imagine.

But my Korean friends (20s and 30s) are excited about him.