Photo: 대한민국 국가기록원 (National Archives of Korea) / KOGL Type 1 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Lee Myung-bak's trajectory fascinates and unsettles me in equal measure. Born in Osaka to a poor family, he climbed from construction executive to Seoul mayor to president of South Korea, an arc of ambition few could match. I respect the sheer drive, yet his later years remind me that political success and personal shadow often travel together. What lingers for me is the strange geography of it all: a man born in Japan reaching the very summit of Korean power. History rarely runs in straight lines, and his life is a vivid reminder of just how tangled those lines can be.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lee Myung-bak
- Name (Japanese)
- 李明博
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- December 19, 1941 (age 84)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake
- Origin
- Kami, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- politician / businessperson / President of the Republic
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Korea University
Awards & achievements
- Royal Order of the Seraphim
- Grand Order of Mugunghwa
- 2009 Order of the Golden Eagle
- Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- 2011 Knight of the Order of the Elephant
- 2011 Order of Zayed
- Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Order of the Sun of Peru
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E6%98%8E%E5%8D%9A
Frequently asked questions
When was Lee Myung-bak born?
Born December 19, 1941 (age 84).
Where is Lee Myung-bak from?
Lee Myung-bak is from Kami, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
What does Lee Myung-bak do?
Lee Myung-bak works as politician, businessperson, President of the Republic.
Politician — see all → · Businessperson — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-20
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.