Lee Nak-yon
Lee Nak-yon (Korean: 이낙연; Hanja: 李洛淵; born 20 December 1951), also known as Lee Nak-yeon, is a South Korean politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of South Korea from 2017 to 2020. A member of the New Reform Party, he is the longest-serving prime minister since the Constitution of South Korea was last revised in 1987. Lee previously held the governorship of Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) province from 2014 to 2017, a stronghold of his party. Before serving as governor, he worked as a journalist for over 20 years and served as a member of the National Assembly for four terms.
Lee Nak-yon | |
|---|---|
이낙연 | |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 30 May 2020 – 15 September 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Chung Sye-kyun |
| Succeeded by | Choi Jae-hyung |
| Constituency | Seoul – Jongno |
| In office 30 May 2000 – 15 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Kim In-gon |
| Succeeded by | Lee Gae-ho |
| Constituency | South Jeolla Province – Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang and Jangseong |
| 41st Prime Minister of South Korea | |
| In office 31 May 2017 – 14 January 2020 | |
| President | Moon Jae-in |
| Deputy | Kim Dong-yeon Kim Sang-gon Yoo Eun-hae Hong Nam-ki |
| Preceded by | Hwang Kyo-ahn Yoo Il-ho (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Chung Sye-kyun |
| Leader of the Democratic Party | |
| In office 29 August 2020 – 9 March 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Lee Hae-chan |
| Succeeded by | Kim Tae-nyeon (acting) Song Young-gil |
| 37th Governor of South Jeolla Province | |
| In office 1 July 2014 – 10 May 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Park Jun-young |
| Succeeded by | Kim Yung-rok |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 December 1951 Yeonggwang, South Korea |
| Political party | New Reform (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (2015-2024) New Future (2024) |
| Spouse | Kim Suk-hee |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Seoul National University (LLB) |
| Signature | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이낙연 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | I Nagyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ri Ragyŏn |
Lee was chosen for the position of Prime Minister by President Moon Jae-in to keep his campaign promise to appoint his de facto deputy from Honam region. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Lee became well-known for his forceful exchanges with opposition party leaders and adeptness at communicating with citizens. Prior to and following his victory in the crucial Jongno district in the 2020 legislative election against conservative Hwang Kyo-ahn, another probable presidential candidate, he was once considered a likely nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2022 South Korean presidential election. He lost the primary to Lee Jae-myung in October 2021.