[Interview] Lee Jae-sung "Goal is to 'Close the Gap'... I Will Develop West Busan"

4th Industrial Revolution Expert, Aiming to Be a 'Politician Who Narrows Gaps'
"Restore R&D Budget... Support Ventures and Startups"
"Seobusang as an eSports Hub... 'Dadae' Branding"

The first words of Lee Jae-sung, former Executive Director of NCSoft (53), who appeared wearing a blue scarf and a blue baseball jumper, were "YouTube." After declaring his candidacy for Busan Saha-eul, he pondered ways to communicate with voters and eventually launched the 'Saha-eul Lee Jae-sung TV' channel. The introduction, "Crazy presence aiming for a 5-term win, monster rookie Lee Jae-sung!" was impressive.

Recruited as the Democratic Party's No. 2 talent, he met with Asia Economy at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 1st and expressed his determination in the Busan dialect, saying, "Ma, ham haebogessibnida!" He emphasized, "My first goal is to develop the western Busan area, where Dadaepo Beach and Gamcheon Culture Village are located, to reduce the gap with eastern Busan." His legislative activity goal reflecting this will be 'Closing the Gap.'

From ventures and startups to large corporations... "Restore R&D budget"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader, are taking a commemorative photo on the 14th at the National Assembly with Lee Jae-sung, a former NCSoft entrepreneur and the party's "second general election recruited talent." Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Lee graduated from Busan Jungang High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Computational Statistics, then started his career at Hansol PCS. He moved to Netmarble, where he was promoted to director, and served as an executive for 15 years at software companies including NCSoft Service CEO. He also gained startup experience as CEO of Saesol Tech. When asked why he decided to enter politics after a successful career as a businessman, he replied, "I wanted to do reformative work rooted in reality," adding, "I thought the Democratic Party was suitable to realize an economic philosophy that pursues equality."

Lee strongly criticized the government's trend of cutting research and development (R&D) budgets. He pointed out, "While failing to prevent the economic downturn, they slashed the R&D budget, which should be the hope for the future. Moreover, last year, the size of the SME mother fund was drastically reduced, leading to an increase in the number of ventures and startups shutting down. Among domestic ventures and startups that received investment last year, 146 have been confirmed to have closed."

Having firsthand experience in the venture and startup field, he expressed concern, saying, "For startups to believe 'With this level of idea and technology, we can get investment,' steady national investment is necessary. Recently, complaints like 'We would have received investment under normal circumstances' are frequently heard on the ground." He pledged, "We will firmly support innovative technologies challenging future industries to create quality jobs."

'Closing the Gap' goal... from dementia prevention to youth employment

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with Lee Jae-sung, a former NCSoft entrepreneur and the party's 'No. 2 general election recruitment talent,' at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The first plan of this 4th Industrial Revolution expert aiming to 'close the gap' is a 'Digital Dementia Prevention Hub Center.' The goal is to conduct early dementia screening for the elderly and prevent dementia through educational programs that enhance cognitive functions. Furthermore, through industry-academic cooperation between the center and local universities, he plans to create jobs for local youth. This is a kind of 'industry' concept that links local aging issues with economic gap reduction.

Lee intends to implement this 'item' first in the western Busan area, where the elderly population is high. He emphasized, "For example, in Gamcheon 2-dong, Saha-gu, more than half the population is elderly," adding, "This environment is actually a good condition to operate a Digital Dementia Prevention Hub Center." As of the end of last month, the population aged 60 and over in Saha-gu was 98,397 (33.1%), and in Gamcheon 2-dong, it was 2,806 (52.5%), showing a high proportion.

He said, "In Busan, the self-deprecating expression 'the elderly and the sea' is often used, meaning that as the youth population decreases, only the elderly and the sea remain," and added, "Creative efforts are needed to turn problems into solutions." He continued, "The Digital Dementia Prevention Hub Center will become a new growth engine in the local community," and "It will not only close the economic gap but also strengthen intergenerational bonds as a result."

Western Busan as an eSports hub... 'Dadaepo Battle' anticipated

Lee Jae-sung, former Executive Director of NCSoft, is explaining the pledge details during the "22nd General Election Democratic Party's First Party Platform and Policy Broadcast Speech" on the 23rd of last month. [Image source=YouTube 'Sahaeul Lee Jae-sung TV' capture]

His overall regional plan is also based on the goal of 'closing the gap.' While existing tourist hubs like Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches are concentrated in eastern Busan, he aims to develop western Busan centered on Dadaepo Beach to reduce regional disparities. He is sketching a plan to integrate the potential of 'eSports' into Dadaepo.

Lee said, "As of the end of last year, eSports had 650 million viewers and showed a growth rate of about 8%, indicating tremendous momentum." He added, "From 2004 to 2010, the 'StarCraft' finals were held annually in Gwangalli, and fans called it the 'Gwangalli Battle.' I will revive the culture of tens of thousands gathering by the seaside to enjoy eSports matches in Dadaepo."

He is also refining plans to connect this with the opening of the new Gadukdo Airport. He aspires to hold an event called the 'Dadaepo Battle' around December 2029, when the new airport opens. Dadaepo is about a 30-minute drive from the airport, which is a geographical advantage compared to Gwangalli, which takes nearly an hour. Lee confidently stated, "I will solidify Dadaepo as the eSports homeland and invigorate the economy and culture overall."

The 'dementia prevention measures' and 'eSports industry development' plans are also linked to the Democratic Party's general election pledges. Lee directly revealed these pledges in the '22nd General Election Democratic Party's first platform and policy broadcast speech' on the 23rd of last month. He also said, "Locally, Dadaepo is shortened to 'Dada,' which is easy to pronounce and not difficult for Japanese or English speakers," adding, "I will develop this expression as a regional brand."

Son of a dockworker... "Not luck but institutional guarantees are needed"

Lee Jae-sung, former Executive Director of NCSoft, during his time as the inaugural base commander at the educational and cultural facility for children and adolescents, 'Aloysius Base 1968.'
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The reason why he, who entered politics with the title of '4th Industrial Revolution expert,' is so focused on 'closing the gap' lies in his background. Lee recalled, "I grew up struggling as the son of a dockworker, but I was very lucky. My two older sisters never even had the chance to attend college." He added, "I hope that life’s direction is not determined by luck but that institutional guarantees ensure no gaps."

After enjoying a stable life by becoming an executive in his 30s, his decision to leave his position and head to 'Aloysius Base 1968' in Seo-gu, Busan, is not unrelated to this hope. 'Aloysius Base 1968' is an educational and cultural facility supporting various experiential activities for children and adolescents. It is a remodeled school where young American priest Aloysius Schwartz taught war orphans starting in 1968. The foundation 'Sisters of Mary,' which operates this place, is responsible for at-risk children through the child welfare facility 'Boys' House.' Lee served as the first base chief of 'Aloysius Base 1968.'

He reflected, "Seeing the children at Aloysius and Boys' House, I was always saddened by their lack of dreams. There was a large university hospital right across from Boys' House, but no child dreamed of becoming a doctor." It was during this time that he conceived the 'Digital Dementia Prevention Hub Center.' He said, "When I was base chief, grandmothers nearby worried about getting dementia and lamented, 'I don’t want to be a burden to my children,' which deeply resonated with me," adding, "I realized that programs are needed not only for children but also for the elderly for future generations."

Showing special affection for Busan, he also pledged a 'healthy competition' with Kim Tae-seok, a prospective candidate and former mayor of Saha-gu. Lee said, "Since nominations are decided according to party rules and regulations, I talked with candidate Kim Tae-seok about 'following the party’s decision well.'" He added, "From the Democratic Party’s perspective, since I am challenging a tough district where People Power Party’s Cho Kyung-tae has held a seat for 20 years, the party supports me a lot," expressing confidence, "I will set a precedent of entering the National Assembly through competition based on personality and policy."