Seoul has a new Boss
…from factory Worker to President, the story of Lee
Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote:
4 June 25—LUSAKA
There’s a peculiar comfort in knowing that the new President of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, once toiled in a factory, just like the millions he now leads.
It’s not often that someone jumps from the assembly line to the front lines of power, but Lee’s story is just that – a real-world “Korean drama” minus the romance, with more courtroom drama and a fair share of political suspense.
Born into crushing poverty in 1963, Lee suffered a severe injury to his arm as a teenage factory worker. Instead of slipping into anonymity, he clawed his way up, eventually becoming a human rights lawyer and later a left-leaning governor with populist flair.
Now, he occupies the Blue House, South Korea’s equivalent of State House, and he’s doing it under the glare of flashing cameras and a cloud of legal controversy.
THE PARADOX OF THE LEE
Yes, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. President Lee is what they call a polarizing figure—some love his social spending proposals; others grimace at the unresolved allegations of bribery and election interference.
He denies it all, but the court of public opinion in Korea is notoriously hard to please. Yet, in a snap election called after his predecessor’s… well, “martial misadventure,” Lee edged out his rival Kim Moon-soo with just over 49% of the vote.
And just like that, a man once accused of everything under the sun is now expected to calm a jittery nation, breathe life into a sluggish economy, and somehow play peacemaker with his nuclear-obsessed northern neighbour, Kim Jong-un.
No pressure, Mr. President.
South Korea’s economy—once called the “Miracle on the Han River”—is not exactly glowing right now. With a GDP expected to hover around $1.74 trillion by the end of 2025, growth is slowing, youth unemployment is rising, and household debt has ballooned.
It’s a good thing Korea still has its heavyweight tech giants like Samsung to carry the load—companies so big they practically run on their own gravity.
For those unfamiliar, Samsung isn’t just a phone brand; it’s a national pillar. Take it out of the South Korean economy and you’ve pulled the engine out of the car. That’s how intertwined they are.
Then there’s foreign policy—a minefield of its own.
Lee inherits frosty relations with the North and a tense triangle involving the U.S. and China.
South Korea houses nearly 30,000 U.S. troops across several military bases, including Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. overseas installation in the world.
That’s a lot of hardware parked in one small corner of Asia. North Korea isn’t amused, and neither is China, which sees every American handshake in the region as a poke in the eye.
Lee must now pull off the diplomatic version of yoga—staying close to the U.S. while not angering China, and somehow still maintaining dignity in front of Kim Jong-un’s missile theatrics. Add a potential Trump 2.0 in the White House and you’ve got fireworks.
Speaking of fireworks, Zambia may not be hosting intercontinental missiles, but we’d do well to watch this Korean tale unfold.
South Korea is proof that a country once ravaged by war and poverty can rise to global prominence with the right policies, focus, and, of course, an industrial drive that doesn’t sleep.
The bilateral ties between Lusaka and Seoul—official since 1990—have been cordial but could be more ambitious. Trade hit $96 million in 2022.
That’s not small change, but with Korea’s innovation muscle and Zambia’s mineral wealth, especially in electric vehicle components, there’s start.
There are real lessons here: diversify the economy, invest in people, guard democratic institutions, and always—always—make sure you have a plan for the day after a snap election.
And as for Lee, here’s hoping he spends less time in courtrooms and more time in boardrooms—steering his country toward peace, prosperity, and the possibility that even the most unexpected leaders can sometimes write the most memorable chapters.
SAMSUNG AND SOUTH KOREA
Samsung’s history is as much a story of South Korea’s economic rise as it is of a single corporation.
Founded in 1938 as a trading company dealing in groceries and dried fish, Samsung reinvented itself multiple times through the decades.
By the 1960s and 70s, under the leadership of Lee Byung-chul, it had entered the electronics sector, producing black-and-white televisions and home appliances.
The real leap, however, came in the 1990s and 2000s, when Samsung invested heavily in semiconductors, mobile phones, and consumer tech—transforming from a local player to a global tech giant.
Today, Samsung is South Korea’s largest conglomerate, or “chaebol,” and arguably its most powerful.
The company’s reach spans smartphones, microchips, appliances, shipbuilding, insurance, and even construction—Samsung built the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. It alone contributes around 20% to South Korea’s entire GDP.
Its global success not only fuels the economy through exports but also supports hundreds of thousands of jobs domestically and abroad. Simply put, Samsung is the beating heart of South Korea’s economic engine.
But Samsung’s importance is not just economic—it’s symbolic. It represents South Korea’s transformation from a war-torn nation in the 1950s to a high-tech powerhouse today.
The company’s innovations in smartphones and semiconductors have made it a household name worldwide, putting Korea firmly on the global map. For many South Koreans, Samsung’s global dominance is a source of national pride, making its fortunes deeply tied to the country’s image and identity.
##
Amb. Anthony Mukwita is a published author and International Relations Analyst. His book signing event is slated for 7 June at Grey Matter, East Park Mall 10am on Saturday.