Meeting with Reporters after Completing the Listening Tour in Yeoju on the 5th
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is speaking at the 'Neighborhood Listening Tour' held on the 5th at Yangpyeong Mulmalgeun Market in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, criticized the ongoing discussions about a unified candidacy between Kim Moon Soo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, and Han Duck Soo, former Prime Minister. He said, "Integration is a good thing, but seeing the two of them (Kim and Han), I suddenly wondered if this is a 'coalition of insurrectionists.'"
Lee made these remarks on the afternoon of May 5, after completing his 'Listening Tour' schedule in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, during a meeting with reporters. Earlier that morning, at the Buddha's Birthday ceremony at Jogyesa Temple, he met both candidates. He said, "When I was working as a lawyer in Seongnam, Kim's younger brother was involved in the labor movement and was imprisoned, and I took on his case pro bono, so it was nice to see him again. I also saw Han at the same event."
Lee reported that Venerable Jinwoo, the Chief Executive of the Jogye Order, commented on political issues, saying, "It would be good if everything could be resolved here. That is the will of Buddha, and each individual is full of compassion and possesses the Buddha-nature to become a Buddha."
Regarding Venerable Jinwoo's remarks, Lee said, "I believe this is very much in line with the general principles of democracy. Each and every citizen is truly important as a sovereign." He added, "From that perspective, actions that destroy democracy and constitutional order must never happen again. Integration, reconciliation, and inclusion are all good, but it is impossible to integrate with those who are destroyers." He continued to criticize the ongoing discussions of unification centered on Kim and Han.
The Democratic Party also continued its criticism. Jo Seung Rae, chief spokesperson of the election campaign committee, said in a briefing, "The People Power Party is pushing its own candidate, whom they worked hard to select, off a cliff with their own hands. Is Kim just a chess piece to be used for unification with another preliminary candidate?" He added, "It is truly pathetic that the People Power Party is begging an independent preliminary candidate for unification." Jo further emphasized, "If this is the case, why did they even hold a primary? What about the party members and citizens who participated in the candidate selection process? It is questionable whether the People Power Party, which treats even its own presidential candidate as an afterthought, will fulfill its duty to the people."
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