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Lee Myung-bak

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
His Excellency
Lee Myung-bak
GOM
이명박
Official portrait, 2008
10th President of South Korea
In office
25 February 2008 – 24 February 2013
Prime MinisterHan Seung-soo
Chung Un-chan
Kim Hwang-sik
Preceded byRoh Moo-hyun
Succeeded byPark Geun-hye
32nd Mayor of Seoul
In office
1 July 2002 – 30 June 2006
Preceded byGoh Kun
Succeeded byOh Se-hoon
Member of the National Assembly
In office
30 May 1996 – 21 February 1998
Preceded byLee Jong-chan
Succeeded byRoh Moo-hyun
ConstituencyJongno (Seoul)
In office
30 May 1992 – 29 May 1996
ConstituencyProportional representation
Personal details
Born (1941-12-19) 19 December 1941 (age 82)
Osaka, Japan
Political partyIndependent (2017–present)[1]
Other political
affiliations		Saenuri (until 2017)[2]
Spouse
​
(m. 1970)​
Alma materKorea University (BBA)
ReligionPresbyterianism
Signature
Korean name
Hangul
이명박
Hanja
李明博
Revised RomanizationI Myeongbak
McCune–ReischauerI Myŏngbak
Art name
Hangul
일송
Hanja
一松
Revised RomanizationIlsong
McCune–ReischauerIlsong

Lee Myung-bak (/ˌmjʌŋ ˈbɑːk/; Korean: 이명박; Korean: [i.mjʌŋ.bak̚]; born 19 December 1941) often referred to by his initials MB, is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the 10th (17th election) president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the mayor of Seoul from 2002 to 2006.

He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother, Lee Sang-deuk, is a South Korean politician. He is a Christian attending Somang Presbyterian Church.[4] Lee is a graduate of Korea University and received an honorary degree from Paris Diderot University in 2011.[5]

Lee altered the South Korean government's approach to North Korea, preferring a more hardline strategy in the wake of increased provocation from the North, though he was supportive of regional dialogue with Russia, China and Japan. Under Lee, South Korea increased its visibility and influence in the global scene, resulting in the hosting of the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit.[6][7][8] However, significant controversy remains in Korea regarding high-profile government initiatives which have caused some factions to engage in civil opposition and protest against the incumbent government and President Lee's Saenuri Party (formerly the Grand National Party).[9][10] The reformist faction within the Saenuri Party was at odds with Lee.[11] He ended his five-year term on 24 February 2013, and was succeeded by Park Geun-hye.

On 22 March 2018, Lee was arrested on charges of bribery, embezzlement, and tax evasion alleged to have occurred during his presidency.[12][13][14] Prosecutors accused Lee of receiving bribes totaling 11 billion won and channeling assets of 35 billion won to an illicit slush fund.[14] Shortly before his arrest, Lee posted a handwritten statement on Facebook denying the charges.[13] Lee's arrest occurred roughly a year after the arrest of former president Park Geun-Hye, who was arrested on charges stemming from the 2016 South Korean political scandal. Lee was convicted on 5 October 2018 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.[15] On 29 October 2020, the Korean Supreme Court upheld a 17-year sentence against Lee given to him by an appellate court.[16] On 27 December 2022, President Yoon Suk-yeol granted Lee a special pardon, cancelling the remaining 15 years of the sentence.[17]

  1. ^ Former President Lee Myung-bak to leave Saenuri Party early this year 1 January 2017 Yonhap News
  2. ^ Onishi, Norimitsu (20 December 2007). "Conservative Wins Vote in South Korea". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  3. ^ 이명박 선친의 성은 '쓰키야마(月山)'였다. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 19 January 2007. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012. Translation: "Our father once used the Japanese surname Tsukiyama (月山) during the Japanese Colonial Period" said the National Assembly Vice Speaker Lee Sang-deuk, in which he is also known as the older brother of the former Mayor of Seoul, Lee Myung-bak, as he also revealed that "Former Mayor Lee kept using the Japanese surname that our father used for some time after 1941". He mentioned "it was inevitable to change the surname, in which our father was a poor commoner like the majority of Koreans back then. It was sad part of the nation," during a recent interview from Shin Donga.
  4. ^ Kim Seon-ju (김선주) (24 May 2011). 'MB 황금인맥' 소망교회 뭐기에.... Money Today (in Korean). Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  5. ^ "Remise du titre de Docteur Honoris Causa – Université Paris Diderot". Univ-paris-diderot.fr. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Kyoposhinmun" 이명박 정부 출범 2주년 외교 성과와 과제 – 조윤영(중앙대학교 교수, 국제정치학). 3 March 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  7. ^ "Achievements, Celebration and Homework: South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's State Visit to the United States". 26 November 2011. Archived from the original on 17 November 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  8. ^ "South Korea hopes G20 will put it in spotlight" (in Korean). 6 November 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  9. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (27 October 2011). "Seoul's Selection for Mayor May Signal Broader Change". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  10. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (22 November 2011). "South Korea Approves Free Trade Pact With U.S." The New York Times. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  11. ^ Kim Dong-guk (김동국) (14 December 2011). 탈당 고민 깊어진 MB. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  12. ^ Choe, Sang-Hun (22 March 2018). "In South Korea, Another Former President Lands in Jail". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  13. ^ a b Dwyer, Colin (22 March 2018). "Former South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak Is Arrested On Graft Charges". NPR.org. National Public Radio. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Former South Korea president Lee Myung-bak arrested on corruption charges". CBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  15. ^ "South Korea ex-leader jailed for 15 years". BBC News. 5 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Supreme Court upholds 17-year sentence against ex-president Lee". The Korea Herald. 29 October 2020.
  17. ^ Shin, Hyonhee (27 December 2022). "South Korea's former president Lee granted special pardon". Reuters. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
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