Is Lee Jun-seok Also Running for President?..."I'm the Only One to Win Among Three Parties Without Unification"

"Did Not Want to Be Included in the Bipolar Structure"
"Being Young Does Not Mean Lack of Experience"
"Those in Their 60s and 70s Ruined the Conservative Camp"

Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, expressed confidence in his competitiveness as a politician and hinted at running in the next presidential election.

On the 23rd, Lee appeared on YTN Radio's 'News Fighting' and was asked by the host about the possibility of running for president. He began by saying, "I believe the voters in Dongtan showed courage by not wanting to be included in a two-party race, and I support that." He continued, "Since 2016, the only person who has won in a three-party race without any unification is Lee Jun-seok from Dongtan," adding, "Even if an early presidential election is held this time, approaching it from a similar perspective might provide the answer."

Lee Jun-seok, Member of the Reform New Party. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Lee stated, "Since President Park Geun-hye, I am the only person who has served as the leader of a conservative party and experienced victory in a nationwide election," emphasizing, "Having experience in creating change and winning is important, and I want to use my experience not for myself but for the development of the Republic of Korea." He also pointed out, "Being young does not mean lacking experience, nor does being older mean having great expertise," and criticized, "Those who have ruined South Korea and the conservative camp are all people born in the 1960s and 1970s, starting with Yoon Seok-yeol, born in 1960."

He also referred to his recent indirect criticism of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, through social media, where he expressed concern, saying, "I worry about a situation where the garbage truck leaves and the sewage truck arrives." Lee explained, "I described the situation of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration as a garbage truck, and I hoped that what comes next would not be a sewage truck," clarifying, "I did not specify anyone in particular." Furthermore, he added, "A better politician than President Yoon must lead South Korea next. The worst part of President Yoon is that when demonizing someone, he uses his legal expertise and power to the fullest, but when he himself is criticized, he behaves like a legal trickster. If Leader Lee Jae-myung shows the same behavior, he will inevitably be criticized in the same way."

Lee also shared his thoughts on the 'Yoo Seung-min rescue pitcher theory' raised by some. He said, "Yoo Seung-min's strength has always been maintaining a reformist stance," but added, "Since his term as a member of the National Assembly ended in 2020, there has been almost no interaction, so he will likely have difficulty gaining control within the party. The current political situation requires a high level of political skill, and that remains uncertain."