[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jeong Mi-kyung, a former Supreme Council member once known as a close aide to former leader Lee Jun-seok and nicknamed 'Junseok Mom,' mentioned the 'Lee Jun-seok leader runaway incident,' which was considered a major crisis for the party during the presidential election, stating, "When I went there, he was intoxicated and unconscious."
On the 15th, Jeong, on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' responded to criticism from some quarters that she belonged to the 'Lee Jun-seok faction,' saying, "As a senior and a mother, I had to keep telling him the right path, so from that perspective, I tried to continue helping Leader Lee."
Jeong, who ran for Supreme Council member in this party convention, served as a Supreme Council member under former leader Lee's leadership, leading to considerable speculation within the party that she might be part of the 'Lee Jun-seok faction.' She is also the main figure behind the 'shopping for party district offices by leadership aides' directly criticized by Emergency Committee Chairman Jeong Jin-seok. However, she is regarded as having distanced herself from former leader Lee during last year's 'injunction phase.'
Jeong explained, "I am also a mother of two sons. I am raising children in their 20s. I wanted to continuously and endlessly communicate and talk about what young people in their 20s are thinking," denying that she belongs to any faction.
She also recalled former leader Lee's condition during the runaway incident. She said, "During the last presidential election, which we absolutely had to win, the so-called 'Lee Jun-seok leader runaway incident' occurred. When it first happened, I received calls from party officials, and past midnight, I spent over an hour going to former leader Lee's house," adding, "I had to find out what was going on, but when I arrived, he was intoxicated and unconscious. I couldn't even enter the house and wandered outside for a long time before returning home feeling frustrated."
She emphasized that her close relationship with former leader Lee was not due to factional ties but out of human decency. She stated, "I help the party leader to win the election; I am someone who embodies the principle of putting the party before personal interests."
Regarding discussions of withdrawal or impeachment at the party convention, Jeong stressed, "No one should get ahead of the president," adding, "Doing so would cause the loss of momentum in national governance."
She also responded positively to the 'party-government unity theory' mentioned by some in the pro-Yoon faction. She said, "We have experienced impeachment once, and that taught us a lot," adding, "Party-government unity should be natural when the ruling party is in power."
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