section_path: Presidential campaigns/2017 presidential election
section_name: 2017 presidential election
paragraph_text: 2017 presidential election
  
  At the end of 2016, Park Geun-hye–Choi Soon-sil Gate broke. At a series of protests that took place across the country, Lee attracted national attention with his strong speeches, stating that "President Park Geun-hye is no longer our president". He ranked second in various public opinion polls after Moon Jae-in in the Democratic Party 2017 primary. An official from the leadership of the DP stated that "I think Lee Jae-myung's support rate can rise by up to 20% because the support of the loyal Democratic Party voters is highly concentrated. There is also an expectation that he may use a similar strategy to Roh Moo-hyun to significantly shore up his support in just a few regions." Lee was considered part of the progressive wing in the Democratic Party.
  
  However, as the protests began to dim with the impeachment of the President and removal of her in favor of Hwang Kyo-ahn, Lee Jae-myung's approval rating, who was popular for his remarks on the scandal, also fell. In the end, Lee Jae-myung's first presidential election ended in him placing third in the primary, with 347,647 votes. He was second to Ahn Hee-jung, who placed second with 353,631 votes, and Moon Jae-in, who won 936,419 votes and a majority. He would go on to defeat Hong Joon-pyo, Ahn Cheol-soo, Yoo Seung-min, and Sim Sang-jung to win the Presidency.