'Original Pro-Park' Lee Jeong-hyun's Sharp Criticism of Yoon's Core Supporters: "They Must Exercise Self-Restraint"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Lee Jung-hyun, Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee of the National Balanced Development Committee, who served as the ruling party leader during the Park Geun-hye administration and was called 'Park Geun-hye President's confidant,' requested the so-called 'Yunhaekgwan (Yoon Seok-yeol core associates)' to "exercise restraint and self-care." He pointed out that Yunhaekgwan are excessively revealing their relationship with the president.

On the 6th, he appeared on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' and said, "For those close to the president to show off 'I am this powerful, I am close to the president' makes the president uncomfortable."

Chairman Lee said, "In the past, those who served Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, Lee Myung-bak, and Park Geun-hye, including confidants, tried not to reveal themselves as much as possible," adding, "They believed that was the way to serve the president."

Former Saenuri Party leader Lee Jung-hyun is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 8th. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

On the other hand, Yunhaekgwan try to show that they are close to President Yoon. Chairman Lee pointed out, "(Showing oneself) ruins the president if spoken ill of," and said, "Therefore, that is absolutely not a desirable force but a very bad force, and it is self-serving politics."

He added, "Those people (Yunhaekgwan) are wrong, and those who are trying to become party leaders by selling out the president should exercise restraint and self-care (being cautious in words and actions) if they want to act as representatives in the future."

Regarding the president's 'communication,' he emphasized the need to consider that he is a political newcomer. He explained, "Because of the short political experience, there are certainly things, attitudes, and mistakes that are quite distant from the will and sentiment of the people," and added, "(Even) DJ (former President Kim Dae-jung) and YS (former President Kim Young-sam), who did politics for 30 to 40 years, received various evaluations, but someone who has been in politics for less than a year became president and already eight months have passed," indicating there are aspects to evaluate.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Lee ran for governor of Jeonnam Province in the last local election but lost, and afterward took the position of Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee of the National Balanced Development Committee directly under the president. He said, "After the governor election ended, the president recommended that I take on another part of national affairs, but while traveling through towns and villages during the governor election, I realized how serious (national balanced development) really is," adding, "I volunteered and requested to take on that role."

He emphasized that it is not a matter of progressivism or conservatism, saying, "Since President Park Chung-hee, all presidents have been the main contributors to expanding the metropolitan area and causing concentration in the metropolitan area," and stressed the need to redirect jobs concentrated in the metropolitan area to local regions.