'S.Korea's Bernie Sanders' tops presidential polls with talk of universal basic income

FILE PHOTO: Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung speaks during an interview with Reuters in Suwon, South Korea, December 16, 2020. REUTERS/Heo Ran

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean politician who once said he aspired to be a "successful Bernie Sanders" is leading the field to replace Moon Jae-in as president after rising to prominence with an aggressive pandemic response and a populist economic agenda.

Lee Jae-myung, the governor of Gyeonggi province, has led in many recent national polls and dominated the early rounds of the ruling liberal Democratic Party primary, including the latest voting over the weekend.