Why Did Na Kyung-won Seek Advice from 'Political Elder' Lee Hoi-chang?

Seeking Advice from Former Political Veteran on People Power Party Leadership Election Withdrawal
Lee Hoi-chang Recruited Judge Na Kyung-won in 2002 Presidential Election
Lee Hoi-chang, Symbolic Figure of Conservative Party Leadership

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "I decided to quit with the heart of the real mother in the Solomon judgment."

The choice of a politician requires justification. Politician Na Kyung-won conveyed the feelings of the real mother in the Solomon judgment through her statement on February 25th, announcing her decision not to run in the People Power Party leadership election.

She added, "Now, with the spirit of Seondanghusa (先黨後私, putting the party before oneself) and Injungyuhwa (忍中有和, harmony through endurance), I intend to embark on a long journey toward a new future and solidarity, seeking the dreams and visions that all citizens and party comrades wish to achieve."

Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won is leaving the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, after holding a press conference on the 25th announcing she will not run for party leader. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Although she is stepping down now, she asked not to forget the meaning behind her political choice. This is a declaration that it is not the end of Na Kyung-won's political career but a new beginning. What is noteworthy is that politician Na Kyung-won put great effort into accumulating 'justification' at the crossroads of her decision. This serves as a mechanism to defend against anticipated criticism and to prepare for the future.

Therefore, the figure to watch more closely is politician Lee Hoi-chang. It is known that former lawmaker Na Kyung-won sought advice from a senior political elder during the Lunar New Year holidays. Among the senior politicians she consulted, the foremost was former Grand National Party Chairman Lee Hoi-chang. Na Kyung-won's seeking advice from Lee Hoi-chang carries multiple meanings. It is both a political connection and a symbol.

The person who introduced Judge Na Kyung-won into politics was none other than former Chairman Lee Hoi-chang. In September 2002, three months before the presidential election, Lee Hoi-chang recruited Judge Na Kyung-won from the Seoul Administrative Court. Judge Na Kyung-won, who had been noted for her excellent grades and beauty since her appointment as a judge, began her relationship with Yeouido politics in her 30s.

Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won holds a press conference on the 25th at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, announcing she will not run for party leader. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

At that time, Lee Hoi-chang, the Grand National Party presidential candidate, said, "As a young female legal professional, please bring a fresh and clean breeze to politics," and recruited Judge Na Kyung-won. The recruitment of Judge Na Kyung-won by Lee Hoi-chang, himself a former judge, was a hot topic in political circles. Politician Na Kyung-won thrived under the Lee Hoi-chang regime.

Politician Lee Hoi-chang demonstrated the strongest control in the history of Korean conservative parties. He served as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chairman of the Grand National Party. He was the party's presidential candidate in both the 1997 and 2002 presidential elections. After the mid-2000s, he took a different political path from the current People Power Party, running as an independent presidential candidate, leading the Liberty Forward Party, and serving as a senior advisor to the Bareun Party.

However, to People Power Party politicians, former Chairman Lee Hoi-chang holds a special symbolic significance. This is because he remains the leader who led the heyday of conservative parties.

The very fact that former lawmaker Na Kyung-won sought advice from the symbolic figure of conservative party leadership, former Chairman Lee Hoi-chang, is itself a political message.

Politician Na Kyung-won spoke with hope for tomorrow.

"I believe in history and I believe in the people. My sincerity and authenticity in protecting the values of liberal democracy and setting the Republic of Korea on the right path will never change, wherever I am."