LEE JAE-MYUNG’S BID FOR PRESIDENCY

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A number of presidential hopefuls in Korea have announced their bids lately. Gyeonggi-do Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is one of them. He is stressing growth, fairness and action, and has vowed to do everything possible to make the lives of ordinary people better.

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Gyeonggi-do Province Governor Lee Jae-myung announced his presidential bid in a 14-minute video posted on social media. It featured photos showing him hard at work and emphasizing his achievements.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Democratic Party presidential candidate) : "Korea is in crisis. Lee Jae-myung can make it a better country."

Lee says the current challenges the nation is facing stem from unfairness and polarization. He vowed to achieve fairness and growth.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Democratic Party presidential candidate) : "Our society has a future only when opportunities are obtained from fair and equal competition and when people are rewarded properly."

The governor pledged to implement powerful economic policies and introduce basic income, his trademark pledge, to lay a foundation for universal welfare. Lee claims to have kept more than 90 percent of his campaign pledges as Seongnam City mayor and Gyeonggi-do Province governor so far. He vowed to only make promises he can keep.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Democratic Party presidential candidate) : "I will focus on practical ways to improve people's lives so the public can feel it, no matter how small it is."

Born and raised in dire poverty, Lee had to work at factories from a very young age to make a living. He eventually became a human rights lawyer and served as Seongnam City mayor. Now he is a top presidential hopeful from the Democratic Party. Despite concerns over a void in the Gyeonggi-do chief post, Lee plans to resign in December, as the law requires. On Thursday, Lee visited Andong, his hometown. An online news conference is planned for Friday.