Destiny, or fate, was what politics was for Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Now standing as the liberal presidential flag-bearer for the second time in his life, Moon vows to finish the reforms started by his dearest friend, ally and supporter, and the reason he entered politics: late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

It was just in 2012 that Moon, a former human rights lawyer, began his career as a legislator. Since then, he has had a quick rise to be where he is now, which for others would have taken decades.  

Moon was born in 1953 to a poor refugee family on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province that had fled from North Korea during the Korean War.  

Moon was a gallant young man who could not stay quiet whenever he saw injustice, he recalled in his book “The Republic of Korea Asks. Moon Jae-in Answers.”

He entered Kyung Hee University in 1972 to major in law, and stood in front among student activists against dictator and President Park Chung-hee, the late father of now jailed former President Park Geun-hye. While in jail for leading street demonstrations, Moon passed the bar exam in 1980. He also served in the special forces of the Korean military.

As his criminal record blocked him from being appointed a judge, Moon moved back to his hometown of Busan and met the person he says changed his fate -- Roh. 

The two worked together as human rights lawyers. In 1988, Moon was asked to bid for the general election by the then-President Kim Young-sam, along with Roh and fellow lawyer Kim Gwang-il, but Moon refused, saying he was not a politician.

It was only Roh’s favor that Moon could not turn down, and he served as Roh’s presidential secretary and the chief of the presidential staff in the Roh administration from 2003 to 2008. He later revealed that he lost 10 teeth, which he filled with dental implants, due to stress in those years.

Roh’s death in 2009 prompted Moon to take part in politics. The late president had taken his own life amid an investigation into corruption accusations involving his family members and associates.

Moon jumped into politics in 2012 determined to carry on the legacy of Roh. In the same year, he declared his first presidential bid, eventually losing to former President Park by 3 percentage points -- 1.08 million votes. 

Now, 64, the two-time presidential candidate has one son and one daughter with wife Kim Jeong-suk and four pets -- two dogs and two cats.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)