Lee Jun-seok: "If Tae Young-ho is elected in his district, it will have a very symbolic meaning"

Former North Korean Embassy Minister in the UK, Tae Yong-ho, announced his entry into the Liberty Korea Party and his candidacy for the April 15 general election constituency at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 11th, Lee Jun-seok, Chairman of the Young Party Vision Committee of the New Conservative Party, evaluated, "If Tae Yong-ho, former North Korean Ambassador to the UK, is elected in a constituency rather than as a proportional representative, it would have a very symbolic meaning."

In a post on his Facebook that day, Chairman Lee said, "Tae's participation in the election has a very significant meaning," adding, "It declares that North Korean residents are our citizens and that their voices can be recognized as representatives of the people under the liberal democratic system."

He continued, "It is predicted that Tae will run in Gangnam-gap, and while he will naturally be elected, the order of districts with the highest number of defectors living in rental apartments in Seoul is Yangcheon, Nowon, and Gangseo. This may have changed somewhat recently," he added.

That morning, Tae held a press conference at the National Assembly and declared his candidacy for the April 15 general election, stating, "I will run as a local candidate for the Liberty Korea Party, not as a proportional representative."

He said, "Since starting life in Seoul, I have been informing about the strategies and intentions of the North Korean regime through various seminars and media contributions, and have been striving to reflect this in government policy. However, unfortunately, the current North Korea and unification policies have only been heading in the wrong direction, causing great frustration."

Additionally, Tae said, "If I am elected as a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, the North Korean elites who play a central role in maintaining the North Korean regime, my former colleagues who are North Korean diplomats working in various countries around the world, and especially the good-hearted North Korean residents yearning for freedom will all have not just hope but certainty."