Lee Myung-bak | |
---|---|
이명박 | |
![]() Official portrait, 2008 | |
10th President of South Korea | |
In office 25 February 2008 – 24 February 2013 | |
Prime Minister | Han Seung-soo Chung Un-chan Kim Hwang-sik |
Preceded by | Roh Moo-hyun |
Succeeded by | Park Geun-hye |
32nd Mayor of Seoul | |
In office 1 July 2002 – 30 June 2006 | |
Preceded by | Goh Kun |
Succeeded by | Oh Se-hoon |
Member of the National Assembly | |
In office 30 May 1996 – 21 February 1998 | |
Preceded by | Lee Jong-chan |
Succeeded by | Roh Moo-hyun |
Constituency | Jongno (Seoul) |
In office 30 May 1992 – 29 May 1996 | |
Constituency | Proportional representation |
Personal details | |
Born | Osaka, Japan | 19 December 1941
Political party | Independent (2017–present)[1] |
Other political affiliations | Saenuri (until 2017)[2] |
Spouse | |
Alma mater | Korea University (BBA) |
Religion | Presbyterianism |
Signature | ![]() |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 이명박 |
Hanja | 李明博 |
Revised Romanization | I Myeongbak |
McCune–Reischauer | Yi Myŏngbak |
Art name | |
Hangul | 일송 |
Hanja | 一松 |
Revised Romanization | Ilsong |
McCune–Reischauer | Ilsong |
Lee Myung-bak (Korean: 이명박; /ˌmjʌŋ ˈbɑːk/; Korean: [i.mjʌŋ.bak̚]; Hanja: 李明博; 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]
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.