[Person of the Year - Politics] Lee Nak-yeon, Lee Jae-myung, Kim Yo-jong

2020. Just like any other year, 365 days passed by. What were the events that left a mark on our society and history over the past year? South Korea was no exception to the unexpected variable of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) that swept across the world. Korean society, which had already been 'dynamic' and turbulent, showed an even more complex and multifaceted appearance due to COVID-19. The editorial team of Asia Economy carefully selected the most influential figures of 2020 by field?those our society cannot help but remember or must remember.

[Person of the Year Selected by Asia Economy] Lee Nak-yeon, Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (left), Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province (center), Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea (right)

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Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, firmly established himself as the undisputed leader of the ruling party this year. He won a landslide victory against Hwang Kyo-ahn, former leader of the United Future Party, in the April general election and played the role of midwife for the 'supermajority ruling party' by leading the election. He then secured a comfortable first place in the party leadership election, proving the phrase ‘Eodaenak (Anyway, the leader is Lee Nak-yeon).’ However, since then, he has been called ‘Eomjungnakyeon’ and is currently in a stalemate, competing in approval ratings with Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province.

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Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, broke the phrase ‘Eodaenak (Anyway, the president is Lee Nak-yeon)’ this year by recording the highest approval rating as the ruling party’s next presidential candidate, causing an unexpected upset. Lee’s rise was thanks to his distinctive ‘refreshing actions’ that stood out during the COVID-19 crisis. In February, amid growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 from the Shincheonji Church, he forcibly entered the Shincheonji Church to secure the list of followers. In May, he proposed the nationwide disaster basic income payment ahead of the government and ruling party. In July, he also removed uncertainty from his presidential campaign by receiving a retrial remand with a not guilty verdict on charges of spreading false information related to the ‘forced hospitalization of his older brother’ allegations.

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From the ‘Messenger of Peace’ in 2018 to the ‘Sharp-tongued Princess’ in 2020, Kim Yo-jong made a dramatic transformation. She unleashed harsh verbal attacks toward the Blue House, calling it a “scared dog,” and led the demolition of the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office, pushing inter-Korean relations to the brink. When rumors about Kim Jong-un’s health surfaced, she was mentioned as a successor, firmly establishing herself as the undisputed second-in-command in North Korea.

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