[Lee Jun-seok Disciplinary Action] Woo Sang-ho Suspects Secret Pact to Sideline 'Annoying' Lee Jun-seok During Yoon-An Unity Talks

Woo Sang-ho, Democratic Party Emergency Committee Chair
Regarding Lee Jun-seok's 6-Month Severe Disciplinary Action
"Suspected 'Secret Pact' During Yoon-An Unity"
"'Ahn Cheol-soo's Party Leadership Takeover' Preparatory Work"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Woo Sang-ho, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised the allegation of a secret agreement for unification with Ahn Cheol-soo regarding Lee Jun-seok’s six-month suspension of party membership.

He said, “I strongly suspect that from the time Yoon Seok-youl and Ahn Cheol-soo unified their candidacies, there was a secret agreement that ‘Ahn Cheol-soo would be held responsible by the party,’” adding, “As part of that, I suspect that Lee Jun-seok, who was a thorn in their side, was ousted using this issue as a pretext.”

On the 8th, Woo appeared on MBC Radio’s Kim Jong-bae’s Focus and said, “They used and then discarded Lee,” and added, “I suspect that in the upcoming party convention, they intend to seat Ahn Cheol-soo because he helped with the unification.”

When the host asked, “Do you see this as a move for Ahn Cheol-soo to register for party leadership?” Woo responded, “If not, then Ahn Cheol-soo, who contributed to the unification, would have gained nothing,” and questioned, “After facilitating the unification, if he couldn’t even get one of his people appointed as a minister, then I judged that it’s not about joint government participation but rather about the party side.” He especially added, “I cannot judge the essence of the matter. I am reading political intentions in why this timing was chosen.”

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th, showing a serious expression during the meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the National Intelligence Service’s (NIS) accusation against former directors Park Ji-won and Seo Hoon, Woo said, “Since the NIS handles state secrets, there are limits to how former director Park Ji-won and our Democratic Party can respond,” and added, “When Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of the People Power Party said the West Sea TF would be suspended, I thought ‘this is the end,’ but suddenly the NIS stepped in, so I felt they were using the NIS, which is difficult to respond to, to carry out a political operation.”

He also criticized, “Has such a form of political purge or retaliatory investigation ever succeeded until now?” and said, “A crisis bigger than the IMF or the 2008 economic crisis is approaching, but if they focus only on attacking the previous administration, can they properly overcome this complex crisis?”

Woo said, “If they are so obsessed with erasing and retaliating against the previous administration, I believe this administration will fail,” and added, “How can they seek opposition cooperation while attacking the previous administration? I worry because it seems the people in the current government do not fully understand the weight of the approaching crisis.”

Woo Sang-ho, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, is touching his face after finishing his speech at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@