#SouthKoreaCryptoPolicy President Lee Jae-myung’s rise to South Korea’s highest office marks the return of a left-leaning populist with deep working-class roots and bold plans for institutional crypto integration.

Though crypto was not directly mentioned in Lee’s inauguration speech on June 4 after the impeachment of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee now leads the country with a list of crypto promises made during his campaign.

His administration is expected to accelerate the integration of digital assets into Korea’s regulatory and financial systems on the back of the Democratic Party’s Digital Asset Committee.

Lee’s rise from a teenage factory worker to a human rights lawyer has shaped his reputation as a reformist. After narrowly losing the 2022 election, in which he campaigned on universal basic income, he returned with revised promises focused on a “basic society,” advocating shorter work weeks and targeted basic income.

Despite his victory, Lee begins his term under the shadow of ongoing controversies, including real estate scandals, alleged illegal funding to North Korea and a 2024 stabbing he survived.#DOGE冲冲冲