Lee Jun-seok: "Hong Jun-pyo's Dismissal Could Not Have Been Done by Representative Kim Ki-hyun"

Former People Power Party Leader in MBC Radio Interview
"Judge-turned Kim Gi-hyeon is a Mediator and Negotiator"
Hong Joon-pyo's Dismissal Raises Possibility of Presidential Office Involvement

Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok indirectly suggested the possibility of intervention by the presidential office, stating that the decision to dismiss Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo from the position of standing advisor was unlikely to be the intention of Party Leader Kim Ki-hyun. It is analyzed that Kim, who is closer to a mediator and negotiator type, would not have made such a bold decision to dismiss a senior party member like Mayor Hong.

On the 14th, former leader Lee appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "The only people who have once been the party's presidential candidate and twice served as party leader are former President Park Geun-hye and Mayor Hong," adding, "When such a senior member expressed their position, they were dismissed."

Former leader Lee criticized, "The authority to dismiss a party leader is not something to be used lightly. It must be used cautiously," and said, "A standing advisor is a position that advises the party leader based on experience. So, when advice was given, they were cut off."

He continued, "Look at former lawmaker Na Kyung-won. She was appointed vice-chair of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee and proposed related policies, but was dismissed. A standing advisor, who advises the party leader on the party's situation, was dismissed after giving advice," explaining, "These kinds of incidents keep repeating."

Former Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Former leader Lee said, "I don't think Leader Kim did it," adding, "Since Leader Kim, who is a former judge, and Floor Leader Joo Ho-young are mediators and negotiators, such cases are rare, so I think there might be other influences." He also added, "Leader Kim was also a spokesperson during Leader Hong's tenure, so their relationship is not bad, and above all, dismissing someone like this looks bad."

When the host asked, "Then are you saying it was the intention of Yongsan?" former leader Lee replied, "From my perspective, it seems everything is because of MBC." It is speculated that the issue arose from Mayor Hong's remarks on President Yoon during MBC's current affairs debate program '100-Minute Debate' on the 0th, where he called the president a "political novice," among other comments.

Former leader Lee said, "Mayor Hong appeared on the '100-Minute Debate' special and said the president is a political novice and so on," adding, "From the president's point of view, it might have been a broadcast station he didn't even want to put on the presidential plane, so why did he go to a left-wing station and mingle with leftists?"