PM Modi congratulates Lee Jae-Myung on being elected South Korean President, looks to deepen India-ROK “Special Strategic Partnership”

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Lee Jae-Myung on his election as President of the Republic of Korea and expressed his intent to work closely with him to “expand and strengthen” the India-ROK “Special Strategic Partnership.”

In a post on X, he said, “Congratulations to Mr Lee Jae-Myung on being elected as the President of the Republic of Korea. Look forward to working together to further expand and strengthen the India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership.”

Congratulations to Mr Lee Jae-Myung on being elected as the President of the Republic of Korea. Look forward to working together to further expand and strengthen the India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership.@Jaemyung_Lee

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 4, 2025

Lee Jae-myung’s hardscrabble path to the South Korean presidency mirrors his country’s rise from grinding poverty to one of the world’s leading economies, Al Jazeera reported.

When Lee, a scandal-prone school dropout-turned-lawyer who was elected in a landslide on Tuesday, was born in 1963, South Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was comparable to sub-Saharan African nations.

Known for his populist and outspoken style, Lee, the standard bearer for the left-leaning Democratic Party, has often credited his humble beginnings with moulding his progressive beliefs.

“Poverty is not a sin, but I was always particularly sensitive to the injustices I experienced because of poverty,” Lee said in a speech in 2022, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

“The reason I am in politics now is to help those still suffering in the pit of poverty and despair that I managed to escape, by building a fair society and a world with hope,” he said.

As president, Lee has pledged to prioritise the economy, proposing, among other things, a major boost in investment in artificial intelligence, the introduction of a four-and-a-half-day work week, and tax deductions for parents in proportion to the number of children they have, as per Al Jazeera.

On foreign affairs, he has promised to mend relations with North Korea while pushing for its ultimate denuclearisation – in keeping with the traditional stance of his Democratic Party – and maintain the US-Korea security alliance without alienating China and Russia. (ANI)