'Mr. Straight Talk' Lee Sangmin, Former Lawmaker, Passes Away... Overcame Polio to Serve Five Terms in National Assembly

Collapsed from cardiac arrest at his home in Daejeon
Joined People Power Party after leaving the Democratic Party
Remembered as a politician who upheld his principles

Former lawmaker Lee Sangmin, who served as the chair of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, passed away on October 15.

Lee was reportedly found collapsed in a state of cardiac arrest at an apartment in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, around 9:30 a.m. that day. He was transported to the hospital by emergency responders but ultimately passed away. Lee, who served five terms in the National Assembly, left the Democratic Party of Korea ahead of last year's general election, joined the People Power Party, and ran for office but was unsuccessful. Since then, he had served as the head of the People Power Party's presidential election committee in Daejeon.

Born in 1958, Lee lived with disabilities, including physical impairments caused by polio. He passed the bar exam in 1992 and worked as a lawyer. In 2004, he entered politics after being elected in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon as a member of the Uri Party. His political career included joining the Liberty Forward Party after failing to secure a nomination from the United Democratic Party in 2008, returning to the Democratic United Party in 2012, leaving the Democratic Party of Korea in 2023, and joining the People Power Party in 2024.

Former lawmaker Sangmin Lee is holding a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

During the 19th National Assembly, he served as the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in the latter half of the term. As chair, he was known for his principled stance, emphasizing adherence to the committee's deliberation period regulations, which had previously fallen into disuse. He was recognized as a principled politician. Notably, within the Democratic Party and its affiliates, he identified as a non-mainstream member and openly criticized the party's mainstream faction, drawing attention for his candid and forthright political remarks. For these reasons, he was nicknamed "Mr. Straight Talk." When President Lee Jaemyung was the leader of the Democratic Party, Lee criticized the party for becoming overly centralized.

Han Donghoon, former leader of the People Power Party who recruited Lee, wrote on social media, "We spoke on the phone not long ago, and I can still hear his strong and kind voice telling me, 'Don't lose heart, let's work together to create good politics.' I will always remember his steadfast conviction that the people and the country come before any political camp."

Yang Hyangja, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, also expressed her condolences on social media, saying, "He was my greatest support in the most difficult times. His passing is truly heartbreaking."