Declared De Facto Retirement as Political Critic in April Last Year
Returns After 1 Year and 8 Months with 'Lee Jae-myung' as the Topic
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Former director of the People’s Livelihoods Foundation, Yoo Si-min, who had declared a 'cessation of political criticism,' appears to be resuming his activities. Yoo is expected to talk about Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, through a broadcast.
According to reports from various media outlets including 'Yonhap News' on the 8th, Yoo is scheduled to appear on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the morning of the 9th to discuss the topic 'Talking about Lee Jae-myung.'
In this broadcast, Yoo is expected to appear for about 50 minutes, explaining his connection with the candidate and his thoughts on the candidate’s political trajectory.
Yoo had previously stated in April last year that he would no longer engage in political criticism.
At that time, on his YouTube broadcast 'Alileo,' Yoo said, "I will not engage in political criticism, current affairs discussions, or interviews through mainstream media." This was effectively a declaration of retirement from political commentary. Since then, he has focused on other broadcasting activities such as book reviews.
In January, regarding the 'prosecutor’s alleged surveillance of the People’s Livelihoods Foundation’s accounts' which he had previously raised, Yoo stated, "I have judged that it was not true. I sincerely apologize to all those involved in the prosecution for causing suspicion," and reiterated that he would no longer make any remarks on political issues.
Former Director Yoo will appear on MBC radio on the 9th to have a conversation for about 50 minutes on the topic of "Talking about Lee Jae-myung." / Photo by MBC
At that time, in a statement posted on the People’s Livelihoods Foundation website, he said, "I do not think an apology alone is sufficient, and I will humbly accept any form of responsibility or inquiry going forward," adding, "We must all form opinions based on facts under any circumstances."
He also added, "Raising suspicions without clear factual support distorts the process of public opinion formation," and "I will reflect on all the words and actions I have taken regarding this issue."
Meanwhile, Yoo invited Lee to a conversation on the People’s Livelihoods Foundation’s YouTube channel broadcast on the 12th of last month.
At that time, the two discussed the mid-length novel 'The Man Left Behind by Nine Pairs of Shoes' by writer Yoon Heung-gil. The novel is known to depict the socio-historical context of Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, during the 1970s.
Yoo evaluated, "Some say Lee Jae-myung has many flaws, but there are those who interpret it differently," adding, "They say those are not flaws but wounds."
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