Lee Jung-mi: "My Resignation Is Not Important... We Must Settle the Innovation Reestablishment"

In the by-election for the mayor of Gangseo District, the Justice Party recorded a low vote share in the 1% range, leading to growing calls within the party for the total resignation of the 'Lee Jeong-mi leadership.' Amid this, Justice Party leader Lee Jeong-mi emphasized that "my resignation is not the important issue" and that the process of innovative reestablishment must first be concluded.

On the 17th, in SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' Lee said, "It is not important whether I resign, but the party as a whole needs to consider how to overcome the crisis going forward," emphasizing the need for party-level deliberation on this matter.

Lee Jung-mi, leader of the Justice Party, is speaking at the launch ceremony of the 30,000 Won Free Pass Campaign Headquarters held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 16th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The political union 'Third Power,' led by lawmakers Ryu Ho-jeong and Jang Hye-young, along with the Youth Justice Party, demanded the resignation of the 'Lee Jeong-mi leadership' citing the defeat in the Gangseo District by-election. However, the leadership drew a line against the resignation demands.

Lee stated, "I did not personally draw a line. As the party leader, I hold the principle that the leader bears primary responsibility for all elections," adding, "I thought it necessary to keep all possibilities open, including resignation, and to listen to various opinions within the party."

She stressed that the innovative reestablishment process must first be concluded. She said, "The by-election occurred during the process of pushing for innovative reestablishment, and we received this evaluation without having created the first momentum for innovative reestablishment," adding, "It is desirable to conclude the initial process of innovative reestablishment to prepare for the next general election and then enter the general election preparation system. I made this judgment after listening to such demands and opinions."

Regarding the innovative reestablishment theory, Lee said, "I do not agree with the view that it is solely about strengthening the party from start to finish," adding, "First, our party must clearly define what kind of party it is in this phase that responds to the demands of this era. Then, within the general election phase, I intend to keep a wide range of options open and respond flexibly to electoral alliances that can potentially change the political structure of Korean society."

In the case of 'Third Power,' they advocate alliances with groups such as lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja's 'Hope of Korea' and former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop's 'New Choice,' but there are differences from the existing Justice Party line. Lee said, "We can discuss how to frame alliances and coalitions, but we need to be more cautious about immediately uniting as one party," adding, "We have also seen experiences where parties like the People’s Party were formed by people with different views coming together but could not sustain themselves."