Lee Jun-seok: "I am the only party leader who defeated the Lee Jae-myung regime"

"The Lee Jae-myung Supporters Are Grinding Their Teeth at Lee Jun-seok"

Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party who hinted at a bid for the next presidential election, expressed confidence in the election by pointing out, "There is no way to defeat Lee Jae-myung by becoming a Lee Jae-myung parrot (constantly mentioning only Lee Jae-myung)."

On the 5th, Lee said on his Facebook, "'Why doesn't Lee Jun-seok insult Lee Jae-myung every day?' People shout like that, but isn't Lee Jun-seok the only party leader who has actually faced and defeated the Lee Jae-myung regime?" Lee previously won against the Democratic Party, which nominated Lee Jae-myung as its presidential candidate, in the 2022 presidential election held while he was the leader of the People Power Party.

Lee Jun-seok, Member of the Reform New Party. Photo by Yonhap News

He said, "In the past, crusaders would go and capture fortresses, kill heretics who refused to convert, and in doing so, there might have been some superficial changes, but this is not that kind of world anymore," adding, "Similarly, people who hate the politician Lee Jae-myung so much and go around shouting to others, 'Are you doing this for Lee Jae-myung?' do not realize that this behavior is exactly what the politician Lee Jae-myung would like the most."

Lee criticized, "Isn't it actually Lee Jae-myung's supporters who are grinding their teeth at Lee Jun-seok? It is absurd that the president seeks comfort inside a barbed wire fence, but what is the purpose of chanting anti-Lee Jae-myung slogans like prayers outside that barbed wire fence?"

Finally, he concluded his post by saying, "Just as it is a great logical dilemma whether someone who has lived recklessly all their life can go to heaven if they repent a day before death, I hope people do not think that all contradictions so far can be hidden simply by saying, 'I am a patriotic citizen' without any measures or strategies."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Lee Jun-seok, member of the Reform New Party, greeted each other while voting on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol at the National Assembly plenary session on the 7th of last month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Meanwhile, on the 25th of last month, Lee appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and hinted at a presidential bid. When asked if he would run if the Constitutional Court ruled to impeach President Yoon Seok-youl and an early presidential election was held, he replied, "The situation looks like that now." Lee will be eligible to run for president at the age of 40 on March 31, 2025.

Lee referred to his victory in the April 10 general election in his constituency, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, where he competed in a three-way race involving the People Power Party, the Democratic Party, and the Reform New Party, arguing that there is a chance of winning if he completes the presidential race in a three-way contest. He said, "Rather, that (three-way race) has a higher probability of winning than a two-way race," adding, "Elections should be future-oriented." He also flatly rejected the possibility of unification with the People Power Party candidate or a merger between the People Power Party and the Reform New Party in the event of an early presidential election, saying it was "impossible."