Lee Jun-seok: "Yoon Pretends to Listen to the People Only When in a Hurry... Also Bowed 90 Degrees During the Presidential Election"

Criticism of Jeong Jin-seok's Appointment as Chief Secretary
Recommendation of Hong Joon-pyo as Next Prime Minister

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, stated on the 22nd that President Yoon Seok-yeol, who proposed a summit meeting, "pretends to listen when he becomes desperate."

On the same day, Lee appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kwon Soon-pyo's News High Kick' and responded to the host's question, "Do you think President Yoon is changing by proposing a summit meeting?" by saying, "(President Yoon) swallows when it's sweet and spits it out when it's bitter. And when he becomes desperate, he pretends to listen."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, stated on the 22nd that President Yoon Seok-yeol, who proposed a summit meeting, "pretends to listen when he becomes desperate." [Photo by Yonhap News]

Lee said, "During the presidential election, if he thought he was going to lose, he would bow 90 degrees. There are photos of that. But after the election, he steeled himself and immediately kicked them out," adding, "In some ways, he is a very human person."

Earlier, after winning the presidential election, Lee was suspended from party membership for six months by the People Power Party's Ethics Committee in July 2022 and was ousted from the party leadership. Lee said, "Still, the fact that President Yoon recognizes the crisis now is somewhat fortunate for South Korea," adding, "If he were a normal political force, he should have recognized the danger after being judged in the recent Gangseo by-election. But despite the stern judgment from the people, didn't he just keep running his own happy circuit?"

He then criticized the launch of the ‘In Yo-han Innovation Committee’ and the ‘Han Dong-hoon Emergency Committee,’ saying, "They should have undergone a painful reform, but instead, they delayed the timing and tried to endure it." He also pointed out, "Looking at the current appointments, I think there is a sense of crisis, but no one seems willing to work for the Yoon Seok-yeol administration."

Lee criticized, "What is the meaning of appointing Jeong Jin-seok as Chief of Staff?" and said, "After receiving the people's judgment, they appointed Representative Jeong Jin-seok, who said during his time as emergency committee chairman, 'Party sentiment must be 100% followed,' and 'Party sentiment is the same as public sentiment.'" He raised his voice, saying, "From then on, they held a party convention with 100% party sentiment, elected Kim Ki-hyun as leader, circulated petitions, and caused this mess."

Finally, he repeatedly proposed Mayor Hong Joon-pyo as the successor to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had expressed his intention to resign, saying, "We need to keep the position open and continue the three visits of persuasion. Without any other considerations, Hong Joon-pyo." He added, "At this point, we need someone who can accept frank advice without upsetting the president. If he does that well, he will naturally be considered a next presidential contender."