Lee Baek-yun

South Korean activist

Lee Baek-yun
이백윤
Born (1977-05-25) 25 May 1977 (age 46)
Dongja-dong, Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Alma materChung-Ang University (expelled)
Occupation(s)Activist, politician
Political partyLabour

Lee Baek-yun (Korean: 이백윤, born 25 May 1977) is a South Korean activist and socialist politician. He was the Labour Party presidential candidate at the 2022 presidential election.

Career

Lee was born in 1977 and grew up in Goheung, South Jeolla.[1] His father was a construction worker, and his mother used to work in various sectors, such as food caravan and restaurants.[1]

As a secondary student, he read books about the Gwangju Uprising, which motivated him to be an activist.[1] After graduation, he attended Chung-Ang University in 1996, where he studied Korean but was expelled.[1][2] He led an occupy movement at the main building.[1]

After finishing national service, Lee did not return to university, but applied to Donghee Auto Co. Ltd., where Kia Morning was produced, in 2005.[1][3][4] As a temporary employee, he organised a trade union and fought for the rights of temporary workers.[3] He was, however, fired for not mentioning his university background on his résumé.[1] Another 21 employees that he worked with were also fired.[1] He launched a struggle against the company's decision to dismiss him and his colleagues (including Park Yong-jin),[5] which he claimed as "void".[1] He was arrested and jailed for a year.[6]

After being released from prison, Lee joined the Socialist Revolutionary Workers' Party (SRWP), a left-wing unregistered political party.[1] He served as the SRWP South Chungcheong chairman.[1]

2022 presidential election

On 29 December 2021, Lee Baek-yun won Labour-SRWP unitary presidential primary, defeating Lee Gap-yong from the Labour Party.[7] He became the Labour presidential candidate after the SRWP was merged into the Labour.[8] His slogan is "Should we keep living like this? If you want to change, SOCIALISM."[3]

Election results

Presidential election

Year Political party Votes (%) Remarks
2022 Labour 9,176 (0.03) Lost

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "월세 45만 원 원룸에서 대통령 후보로 출마한 남자". 26 February 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. ^ "충남 서산 사회운동가가 대선 출마한 까닭". 2 February 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "[더초이스 2022] 대선후보 대담 ③ 노동당 이백윤". 25 February 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  4. ^ "'단일화 무산' 이후 진보정당 독자후보 행보 본격화". 13 January 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  5. ^ "동희오토 - 10년만의 기분좋은 만남". 13 September 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Pamphlet of Lee Baek-yun" (PDF). Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. ^ "사회주의 좌파 공투본 대선 후보에 이백윤 당선". 29 December 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  8. ^ "노동당-변혁당 합당 결정". 17 January 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.

External links