Lee Su-jeong "Advised to Shake Hands Closely... But Feel Inhibited When Meeting Voters"

Remembering Park Geun-hye Criticized for 'Fingertip Handshake'
"70% of Violent Crime Victims Are Women... Vulnerable Reality"

Lee Soo-jung, a professor in the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University and a preliminary candidate for the People Power Party in the general election, recently commented on the attack incident involving Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the People Power Party, saying, "When meeting voters, there is a sense of caution, so I feel somewhat restrained."

On the 29th, Professor Lee appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and said, "My staff often advises me by comparing how I shake hands with male candidates, saying things like 'shake hands more firmly, hold closer.' So I try to shake hands with closer body contact, but for various reasons, the thought of being cautious also comes to mind simultaneously."

She also mentioned criticism of former President Park Geun-hye's 'fingertip handshake.' Professor Lee said, "Many people pointed out that former President Park only shook hands with her fingertips during election campaigns, and I think that might have originated from such caution." In September 2016, when former President Park visited the earthquake damage site in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, a photo was released showing her shaking hands awkwardly with volunteers at the site, which drew criticism. Some speculated that she only shook hands with her fingertips to avoid getting dirt on her hands.

At the time, the Blue House explained, "Because stepping on the restoration soil is prohibited, the handshake was done from a distance with soil in between," and stated, "This is completely untrue." Former President Park was also the victim of a cutter knife attack during a local election campaign in Sinchon, Seoul, in May 2006.

Lee Su-jeong, a preliminary candidate for Suwon-jeong of the People Power Party, is holding a press conference for candidacy at the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the afternoon of the 19th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the attack on Assemblywoman Bae, Professor Lee said, "I have never said that it happened because she is a woman or that this incident is a misogynistic crime," but argued, "However, gender is objectively related to vulnerability to crimes such as stalking, which is a criminological fact."

She added, "Since women account for 70% of victims of violent crimes, it is an undeniable objective fact that they are vulnerable." In a recent media interview, Professor Lee said about the 15-year-old middle school suspect who attacked Assemblywoman Bae, "It may be a spontaneous incident that occurred at the end of a general trend of hostility toward women online," which drew criticism for allegedly "inciting gender conflict."