[Candidate Profile] Moon Jae-in - Democratic Party

Two-time presidential candidate Moon Jae-in took the bar exam hoping to become a judge, but those dreams were thwarted due to his involvement in student activism.
 
Rejecting offers from major law firms, he returned to his hometown of Busan where he became a human rights lawyer. There, he met fellow human rights lawyer Roh Moo-hyun who later became the president of South Korea.
 
Moon served as Roh's campaign manager during his presidential bid, then as his presidential chief of staff. He planned to return to his hometown after Roh's term ended. However, he remained in the spotlight as he became Roh's attorney and spokesperson after allegations that Roh received illicit political funds.
 
Emerging as a leader of the liberal voice, he ran in the 2012 presidential election, but lost to Park Geun-hye. He faced another hurdle when his party lost the subsequent general elections. However, he reemerged as a liberal leader as Park's corruption scandal unfolded.