"Former Prime Minister Lee Haechan Still Unconscious... Remains in Critical Condition"

Cho Jeong-sik, Special Political Advisor to the President, says on transfer to Korea:
"We need to monitor the situation"

Jo Jungshik, Special Political Advisor to the President and a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on the 25th (local time) that Lee Haechan, Executive Vice Chairperson of the National Unification Advisory Council, "remains in a critical condition and has not yet regained consciousness" regarding his health status.

On this day, Advisor Jo met with reporters at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where Executive Vice Chairperson Lee is hospitalized. Regarding the possibility of transferring Lee back to Korea, Jo said, "It is not a situation where I can comment yet. We need to monitor the situation a bit longer," he explained. Previously, Lee's health deteriorated during a business trip to Vietnam, leading to his transfer to a local hospital. In response, the President urgently dispatched Advisor Jo to the site.

Yonhap News Agency

Advisor Jo added, "The President is deeply saddened by the deterioration of Lee's health and sincerely hopes for his recovery," and continued, "He is receiving my reports in real time and has expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese authorities and the hospital for their efforts."

Advisor Jo further emphasized, "Executive Vice Chairperson Lee is a living witness to the history of Korean democracy, someone who has lived through its most intense political struggles, and is also a very important figure in the Lee Jaemyung administration. With sincere hope, we are all wishing together for his miraculous recovery."

Meanwhile, on January 23, while on a business trip to Ho Chi Minh City to attend a National Unification Advisory Council meeting, Lee's health deteriorated, and he was transported to the emergency room while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was subsequently diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, underwent a stent procedure, and is reportedly receiving ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) treatment in the intensive care unit.

Alongside Advisor Jo, Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Taenyeon, Lee Haesik, Lee Jaejeong, Choi Minhee, and Kim Hyun also traveled to Vietnam to visit Lee and discuss countermeasures.