Lee: "I sincerely apologize for any discomfort caused"
Strong response to those spreading false information
Preemptive measures to prevent negative impact on early voting
Early voting conducted in Dongtan, his constituency
Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, bowed his head and said, "I sincerely apologize to those who felt uncomfortable," regarding his citation of remarks related to a specific part of women's bodies during the third presidential TV debate on the 27th.
On the morning of the 29th, Lee held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly and explained, "I changed the wording to a value-neutral term when quoting, but since the original expressions were extremely obscene, there were limits to how much I could refine and moderate them." Previously, during the TV debate, Lee had questioned Kwon Youngguk, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, about a topic related to a specific part of women's bodies. Some interpreted Lee's remarks as targeting the family of Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, but the high intensity of the remarks led to growing controversy.
Lee stated, "The expression in question was not something I created." He claimed that, while mentioning the real name of Lee Jaemyung's son, he was quoting part of a post from an online community. Lee explained, "My question was not simply for provocation, but a step-by-step verification," and added, "It was necessary to confirm what sense of responsibility Lee Jaemyung had regarding his family's misconduct."
Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly on the 29th and bowed his head in apology regarding the controversy over his remarks about women's bodies during the TV debate. 2025.5.29 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Lee announced that he would request those spreading false information about his remarks to voluntarily delete their posts, and warned that if they did not comply, he would respond with strong civil and criminal legal action. Some observers believe that the reason for holding this emergency press conference, even at the cost of delaying the early voting schedule, was due to concerns about the negative impact this incident could have on the presidential race. In fact, criticism of Lee has continued both within and outside political circles.
Meanwhile, after the press conference, Lee plans to move to Dongtan in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, his own constituency, to participate in early voting. After voting, he will hold a walking campaign at the outdoor plaza of Pangyo U Space in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, and then continue his afternoon campaign in front of Korea University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Finally, he will conduct a focused campaign targeting citizens returning home from work at Jongno 3.
Regarding reports that Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, attempted a late-night meeting on the 28th in an effort to unify the candidacies at the last minute, Lee dismissed the idea, saying, "There will be no unification. My phone was turned off the previous day, so I am unaware of any contact with Kim Moonsoo."
Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly on the 29th, addressing the controversy over his remarks about women's bodies during a TV debate. 2025.5.29 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
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