Lee Jae Myung Says, "If I Could Swap Souls Like in a Drama, I'd Choose Kim Moon Soo"

Meeting Cultural Artists at the K-Content Industry Forum
"I Want to Know What Kim Moon Soo Is Thinking"

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, was asked by K-content creators, "If you could swap souls with anyone, like the main characters in a drama, who would you choose?" He named Kim Moon Soo, the People Power Party candidate.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung met with domestic cultural and artistic figures at the K-Content Industry Promotion Meeting held in Jeonju, Jeonbuk on the 7th. From left, candidate Lee, writer Kim Eun Sook, writer Park Hae Young. Photo by Yonhap News

On May 7, at the K-Content Industry Promotion Meeting held in Hanok Village, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Lee received this question from writer Kim Eun Sook, known for dramas such as "The Glory," "Secret Garden," and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God." Kim Eun Sook picked Kim Joo Won (played by Hyun Bin) from "Secret Garden" as one of the most needed characters in today's society among her works. She explained, "The basic plot of 'Secret Garden' is that the souls of the male and female leads are switched," and added, "If the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties swapped souls, I think conflicts might be resolved quickly."

When Lee responded, "That's a good idea, an excellent idea," Kim Eun Sook asked, "Then who would you want to swap with?" Lee answered, "Right now, I'd like to try being Kim Moon Soo. I want to know what he thinks." When Kim Eun Sook suggested, "Wouldn't it be fun to swap with Han Dong Hoon, the former People Power Party leader?" Lee laughed and replied, "Not really." Lee also said, "I'd prefer to swap bodies rather than souls. I don't want to lose my soul."

During the meeting, Lee was asked if there was a movie or novel that influenced him to become a politician. He replied, "My life itself feels like a movie." He also shared, "Recently, I cried a lot while watching the drama 'Thank You for Your Hard Work.' Seeing the main character, Aesoon, reminded me of my younger sister Aeja, who used to work as a sanitation worker."

In addition to Kim Eun Sook, the meeting was attended by director Yoon Je Kyun, who directed the films "Ode to My Father" and "Haeundae," director Jung Ju Ri of "Next Sohee," and writer Park Hae Young, who wrote the dramas "My Mister" and "My Liberation Notes." The participants proposed ideas such as establishing a unified domestic OTT platform and supporting the production of commercial films to vitalize the domestic content industry.

As one of his presidential pledges, Lee presented the "K Initiative" vision, focusing on establishing Korea as a cultural powerhouse. Since announcing his candidacy via video on April 10, Lee has stated, "Although our scale is small, I am determined to make our country a global leader in terms of soft power." At the meeting, Lee emphasized, "Culture is a matter of livelihood," and added, "While we are already ahead in the economy and military, I believe we can also lead the world in cultural aspects."