"Don't Support Any Party... Don't Know Politics or Left and Right"… Lee Cheon-su's Reflections on Supporting Won Hee-ryong

Revealing Election Reflections in Interview with Chosun Ilbo
Won Hee-ryong Accompanies Until the End for Concession Greetings

After serving as the chairman of the support committee for Won Hee-ryong, the People Power Party candidate for Incheon Gyeyang-eul in the April 10 general election, and accompanying him through campaign rallies and even his concession speech, Lee Cheon-su shared his thoughts following the election. In an interview with the Chosun Ilbo on the 15th, Lee explained the background of joining the "Won Hee-ryong camp," saying, "I first met him around 2016 when the World Cup semifinal heroes visited the Jeju women's soccer team," and added, "Since his aide is a close friend of mine, we met several times, built a friendship, and grew to like each other."

"Don't Support Any Party... Don't Know Politics or Left and Right"… Lee Cheon-su's Reflections on Supporting Won Hee-ryong

Former People Power Party candidate for Incheon Gyeyang District in the April 10 general election, Won Hee-ryong, and Lee Cheon-su, chairman of the support committee [Photo source=Won Hee-ryong Facebook]

He continued, "Honestly, I advised him not to come to Gyeyang. The Democratic Party is so strong there that winning would be difficult. But if he insisted on coming, I wanted to help him." Regarding his support for the People Power Party candidate this time, after having campaigned for former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil in the 2020 general election, Lee said, "(Democratic Party candidate) Lee Jae-myung seemed more interested in the bigger picture of the country than the small district of Gyeyang," and added, "I don't really know what kind of person he is. I just wanted someone who would work harder for Gyeyang-eul."

He went on, "Of course, the country is important, but for the residents of Gyeyang, someone who values Gyeyang more is needed," and added, "Although Won has not been in Gyeyang for long, he sincerely agreed that Gyeyang needs to change quickly regardless of the election outcome. You can see this from the concerns and alternatives he presented in his pledges and debates."

"I just thought someone capable and powerful should come"

When asked if he supports the People Power Party, Lee said, "I don't support any party. I don't know politics or left and right," emphasizing, "Gyeyang is where I grew up, where I first started playing soccer, and where my friends with whom I played soccer still live. It's like my hometown, so I thought that to escape from being a neglected area and develop, someone capable and powerful should come." He reiterated, "Maybe because I don't know politics, I only look at the person. It's very simple. If I like them, that's it."

Lee also spoke about an incident during the campaign when he had a confrontation with voters, saying, "Those people have no hesitation in cursing and mocking," and added, "If you're a soccer fan, you know my temper. I just held back and said a word." He continued, "The threats and criticisms I received from them exceed ten thousand times. Still, I suppressed my anger. At first, I diligently deleted the pouring insults, but I got tired of deleting and stopped checking. I haven't looked at Instagram for a long time," he confessed.

Lee said, "During former leader Song's time, I was never criticized," and lamented, "It's natural to be cursed because I wasn't good at soccer. But this is a matter of choice, isn't it? It's a democratic society. I still don't understand why I have to be criticized." Then, jokingly, he added, "If I had known what politics was, I would never have chosen this," and said, "It was chilling to see the people who become one team during the World Cup cheering split into red and blue sides during elections."

However, he expressed his reflections, saying, "In soccer terms, Won Hee-ryong was like someone coming for an away game, but because he worked really hard, even the home team fans acknowledged him. Among residents with Democratic Party leanings, many said they would vote for Won Hee-ryong regardless of party," and concluded, "So I have no regrets."