Lee Jun-seok "Ahn Cheol-soo, What Exactly Do You See Me As... Must Get on the Primary Bus by Early Next Week"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] On the 5th, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, commented on the stalled merger talks with the People’s Party, saying, "Instead of stirring up trouble, shouldn’t it be as simple as just saying ‘we merge’ or ‘we don’t’?" He also cited personal feelings toward himself as a reason for the negotiation difficulties.

On the same day, Lee appeared on KBS Radio’s ‘Choi Kyung-young’s Strongest Current Affairs’ and criticized the remarks made the previous day by Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party. He said, "A normal person, when asked whether they agree to a merger, would simply answer yes or no," adding, "It reminds me of when Japanese war criminal Yamashita forced a British general to surrender during World War II by asking ‘yes or no.’ How can this be a normal conversation between political leaders?" Lee criticized. He added, "It’s unpleasant and controversial to be compared to a Japanese war criminal, but if I am a Japanese war criminal, does that mean the People Power Party is the Japanese army?" He continued, "Instead of stirring up trouble with such abnormal conversations, shouldn’t it just be a matter of whether we merge or not?"

When asked if he thought his series of remarks crossed a line, Lee responded, "I’m rather curious," and said, "What exactly do they see me as?"

Considering the party’s primary schedule, Lee stated that the merger issue must be resolved by early next week. He said, "A merger takes at least 2 to 3 weeks," and added, "No matter how fast the merger happens, it should be completed by this week or early next week." He also said, "If (someone) is going to get on the primary bus, I won’t take any taxi training and will just get on."

In response to the host’s question about whether the People’s Party’s strategy was to buy time, Lee said, "If they really think that way, then tactically labeling the opposing party leader as a Japanese war criminal is a very foolish act," and added, "They should just answer that way: ‘Please wait a little longer.’ Why can’t they give an answer?"

Lee said, "From what I see, (Ahn) probably dislikes Lee Jun-seok," and added, "If I were in Ahn’s position, I wouldn’t act that way, so I don’t understand it." He criticized, "It is known that Ahn sent a love call to former Prosecutor General Yoon before his entry, but it was disrupted by Yoon’s sudden joining. If that’s the case, there should be some negotiation stance shown, but right now it seems like a stun, a state of confusion."