Lee Jun-seok "Lee Jae-myung's Fasting Purpose Unclear... Voluntary Vacancy State"

SBS 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show' Interview
"If It Were Me, I Would Go to the Military Academy Instead of the National Assembly"

Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok criticized the hunger strike of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "The purpose is unclear," and added, "I don't know exactly what the hunger strike is targeting."

On the 1st, Lee appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and said, "A hunger strike is undertaken when there is a clear justification for starting and stopping it," adding, "Lee's hunger strike lacks a specific issue."

Former Lee Jun-seok, People Power Party leader. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He said, "If it were me and I had to do a hunger strike, I wouldn't sit in front of the National Assembly like this; I would go to the Korea Military Academy and stage a hunger strike opposing the relocation of General Hong Beom-do's bust," adding, "Then, regarding this issue, wouldn't Lee receive broad support from those opposing the bust's relocation, showing that he is doing the right thing?"

He continued, "But Lee seems to be criticizing President Yoon's attitude. It's not just for a day or two, so is he suddenly expecting President Yoon to have better manners or to apologize? None of that can be achieved," and added, "The three items he declared as reasons for the hunger strike are also too vague."

Lee evaluated that Lee Jae-myung has effectively entered a 'voluntary vacancy state' through the hunger strike. He explained, "I have done a hunger strike only once in my life, in 2016, to demand the resignation of Lee Jung-hyun (Saenuri Party leader). At that time, I lasted 13 days on water and salt. From the third or fourth day, my head felt dizzy. I couldn't think of anything, and when I lay down, I just wanted to sleep."

He added, "As the leader of the opposition party, he holds an important part of South Korean politics, but the opposition party enters a voluntary vacancy state from the third or fourth day onward," and questioned, "If this is a national crisis, is it the right strategy for the main opposition party to enter a voluntary vacancy state?"