'6-term defeat' Lee Sang-min: "Yoon should hold a press conference... Strong anger towards power"

"Lost Initiative to Opposition Party
Difficult to Exercise Presidential Powers and Duties"

Lee Sang-min, a member of the People Power Party who ran in Daejeon Yuseong-gu Eul but faced defeat, revealed that during this general election period, he barely caught the attention of citizens, which made him deeply feel the cold public sentiment toward the government and ruling party.

On the 16th, Lee appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "Especially in our area, there are many science and technology researchers," adding, "Many were upset due to the cuts in research and development (R&D) funding, and didn't the suppression of KAIST graduates' voices get broadcasted all across the country? The anger toward presidential power was very strong."

Lee Sang-min, the People Power Party candidate, is appealing for support at Noeun Station Square in Daejeon on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

This general election saw the 'regime judgment theory' strongly at work, with the ruling party securing only 109 seats. Lee, whose constituency is Daejeon Yuseong-gu Eul, was also defeated by Hwang Jeong-ah of the Democratic Party of Korea, ending his bid for a sixth term.

Lee lamented, "I foolishly thought about trying to do something with my personal skills," and added, "But even when I greeted voters, it seemed like they barely paid any attention." He continued, "It seems the public turned their backs a long time ago," pointing out, "This was already revealed during the Gangseo District Mayor by-election, and the president even said, 'The people's words are always right.' After that, the government should have shown such an attitude."

Lee criticized, "However, the same attitude as during the Gangseo District Mayor by-election has continued. It might even be considered worse. For example, the appointment of former Minister Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia was not reasonable."

Furthermore, Lee warned that if a comprehensive government reform is not undertaken, President Yoon will lose political leadership to the opposition during the remainder of his term. He said, "Although President Yoon Seok-yeol has three years left, in reality, only about one year remains this year," adding, "If he hands over leadership to the opposition, it will be difficult to exercise his authority and duties as president."

He then urged, "Ultimately, he must trust and follow the people," and emphasized, "He needs to communicate with the public more diligently. It should not end with unilateral remarks; he must hold a press conference soon."