Lee Jae-myung: "If the primary is postponed, I will have an advantage... Party trust will fall even further"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung visited Gyeongnam Province on the 17th to attend the "Policy Agreement Ceremony for Joint Cooperation between Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongnam Research Institute, and Gyeonggi Research Institute."
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Lee Jae-myung, the leading presidential candidate from the ruling party and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated on the 22nd regarding the postponement of the primary election, "If I consider personal advantages and disadvantages, simply postponing the primary might be much better, but the trust in the party would fall even more."

In an interview with Hankyoreh, Lee said, "I don't think the public's opinion will change whether the candidate is selected in September or November."

He made it clear that insisting on keeping the primary schedule of "selecting the candidate 180 days before the presidential election" is not about personal gain or loss but a matter of 'principle.'

Lee emphasized, "If I accept the postponement of the primary, people will say I am accommodating and magnanimous, and that would be more advantageous, but what will happen to the party? The party must keep principles and rules to gain the trust of the people."

He also mentioned failed cases where principles such as the party constitution and regulations were not followed, including the formation of proportional satellite parties and candidate nominations for the April 7 by-elections. He pointed out, "Politics makes promises involving the nation's fate and individuals' lives as a whole, but even if those promises are broken, there are no sanctions. Breaking promises has become routine" and the result is political distrust."