"Running for Office Is Fine, but Right Now He Is a Public Official"
Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, targeted Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deoksoo, who is expected to declare his candidacy for the presidential election this week, stating, "I hope he does not neglect the minimum responsibilities required of a public official."
After a meeting with office workers held in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 30th, Lee spoke to reporters and said, "It's fine if he runs for office; all of that is fine. But right now, he is a public official," conveying his message accordingly.
In addition, Lee commented on U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant's remark that the Korean government "wants to establish the basic framework for trade negotiations before the election," saying, "It seems to me that our negotiation team, or the Prime Minister who leads the team, has used trade negotiations with the United States for political purposes. In the end, this means they have done something that does not benefit the interests of the Korean government or the nation."
Lee further stated, "This is unacceptable. This has gone too far, beyond imagination," adding, "As the Prime Minister or Acting President of a nation, could he really do such a thing? I thought, 'Surely not.'"
Regarding his Facebook post earlier that day, in which he shared Secretary Besant's remarks and wrote, 'How could this happen in the world,' Lee explained, "I saw such an absurd scene that I wrote a post on Facebook."
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