Lee Jun-seok: "Joo Ho-young's 'Neighborhood Hill' Remark Is a Batting Ball... I'll Hit It As Much As He Wants"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol Compared to Beef Cattle... Implies He Should Have Joined the Party 6 Months Ago

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Lee Jun-seok, former Supreme Council member of the United Future Party (predecessor of the People Power Party), criticized former floor leader Joo Ho-young, his rival in the party leadership race, for his ‘neighborhood hill’ remark as a slip of the tongue. Lee also expressed that presidential candidates outside the party, such as former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, should join the party at least six months before the presidential election, likening it to ‘Yukwoo’ (domestic beef cattle).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 12th, Lee appeared on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ and explained why he criticized Joo’s interview the previous day by saying, “Everest is high, but there are mountains under the sky.” Lee said, "Joo Ho-young’s remark deeply hurts many young people within the party who have not yet had good opportunities," and pointed out, "It was close to a slip of the tongue."

Earlier, Joo Ho-young mentioned the role of the party leader who must prepare for next year’s presidential election, saying, "If we want to mount an expedition to Everest, we cannot just climb the neighborhood hill; we must also climb mid-level mountains like Seoraksan or Jirisan and lead the expedition team. I think the public will judge well those who want to run for this big war called the presidential election without having directly experienced it, just with ambition." This implied that Lee or first-term lawmaker Kim Woong lack sufficient election experience to lead the party.

In response, Lee said, "(I) do not think I lack experience in presidential campaigns," adding, "I have also helped create a mayor of Seoul." He continued, "If this talk about experience keeps repeating, young supporters will say, ‘Is that all you have?’"

He said, "For a baseball player to hit 20 home runs in a season, they must never miss a mistake pitch from the opponent," calling Joo’s remark a "batting ball." He explained that the more such criticism continues, the more favorable the situation will become for himself. Lee said, "Even if it’s not Joo Ho-young, if someone throws (a pitch), I will keep hitting it back."

Regarding former Prosecutor General Yoon, Lee used a metaphor to express that he should join the party at least six months before the presidential election. Lee said, "According to the standards for classifying beef, if we raise and slaughter cattle on a domestic farm, it is domestic Hanwoo beef; if imported cattle are raised domestically for six months before slaughter, it is domestic Yukwoo beef." He added, "Those who cherish the party and its members and want to support a presidential candidate organizationally should at least be like domestic Yukwoo, if not domestic Hanwoo." He mentioned, "By communicating with party members and competing in primaries, and through such processes reflecting the party’s values, a candidate can later be recognized as domestic beef."