Lee Jun-seok: "If the Contest Becomes Kim Ki-hyun vs. Ahn Cheol-soo, the Outcome Is Unpredictable"

"Book to be released next month"
"Sense of d?j? vu in Na Kyung-won's situation"
"Na Kyung-won runs even when she shouldn't run"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok expressed empathy by saying he feels a "sense of d?j? vu" regarding the recent situation faced by former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, indicating that she is going through a similar experience as himself. He felt a sense of solidarity with her situation of being attacked by the 'Yunhaekgwan (Yoon Seok-yeol's core associates).' He predicted that if the runoff election becomes a 'Kim Ki-hyun vs. Ahn Cheol-soo' scenario, the outcome would be unpredictable, and the runoff could hinder the pro-Yoon faction.

On the 20th, former leader Lee said on CBS's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," "I feel a sense of d?j? vu. That doesn't mean I will help former lawmaker Na, but I can predict how the current situation will unfold."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He noted that similar reactions occurred when he chose to go to Ukraine in the past and when former lawmaker Na recently served as vice-chair of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee. He said, "When I said I was going to Ukraine, I never heard anyone tell me 'Don't go to Ukraine.' But someone leaked to the media that I went despite being told not to," and "(Former lawmaker Na) announced low birthrate countermeasures, and people said 'She was told not to do that.' But it is unclear who exactly told her not to do it."

He added, "Although the political situations I faced and the conflicts involving me are different, at least the methods used by the so-called Yunhaekgwan who are handling these issues, or the person directing those Yunhaekgwan, are not significantly different." This means that the so-called 'Yunhaekgwan method' was similarly applied to both former leader Lee and former lawmaker Na.

Although lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun recently overtook former lawmaker Na in a poll among party supporters, he also predicted that surprises could occur under the runoff voting system. He said, "In a one-on-one runoff, no one really knows. For example, if former lawmaker Na is completely sidelined and lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo advances to the runoff, that is also unpredictable," adding, "(There is) a very large margin of error between the party supporter polls and the party member votes."

He expressed concern that while he received 54% in the People Power Party supporter poll during a past party convention, he only got 37% in the actual party member vote, saying, "There are block votes among party members, and basically, supporter polls do not sample well."

Nevertheless, he supported the possibility of former lawmaker Na running, saying she has never missed an opportunity to run. Former leader Lee said, "Former lawmaker Na has always run whenever given the chance," adding, "When the Bareun Party was formed, and in the December 2016 People Power Party floor leader election, she ran at the last moment and lost. Looking at that situation, she shouldn't have run, but she did."

Regarding the book he is writing, he said, "I actually finished the manuscript about a month or two ago," and "Given the current situation, I think it will be published in February."