From would-be pastor to 'fighting cock', S.Korean president Yoon carves own route to the top

FILE PHOTO: South Korea's president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a news conference to address his relocation plans of the presidential office, at his transition team office, in Seoul, South Korea, March 20, 2022.Jung Yeon-je/Pool via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) - Yoon Suk-yeol seals his surge to the summit of South Korean politics on Tuesday when the man who once dreamt of becoming a pastor, but was nicknamed the 'fighting cock' for his tenacity as a prosecutor, is sworn in as president.

Elected in March, the 61-year-old former prosecutor-general only formally entered the cut and thrust of Korean politics when he declared his run for the presidency last June. That came after he was courted by the conservative bloc for showcasing his uncompromising nature by filing bribery charges against a key aide to outgoing President Moon Jae-in - the man who hired him.