Lee Nak-yeon "If the Party Wants, I Will Also Take on the Role of Election Committee Chair"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon said on the 2nd that, on the condition of "if the party demands," he could not only run against Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, in the Jongno district but also take on the role of the election campaign committee chairman.

On that day, Prime Minister Lee appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "If the party demands, I will do anything. Considering various trends, I have the feeling that I will be assigned to some district."

Regarding the position of campaign committee chairman, he said, "That will also be decided by the party, and if the party proposes it, I should do it." When asked about the possibility of Hwang running as a competitor, he said, "Isn't it inevitable? There is no reason to welcome it deliberately, but there is no way to avoid it either."

He cited 'trust' as the key issue in this general election. Prime Minister Lee mentioned, "What the ruling and opposition parties cannot differ on is trust. It will be a competition over which words or which person the public trusts more."

He continued, "For the first time in constitutional history, there was the unfortunate event of an incumbent president being impeached. Among a considerable number of citizens, some still cannot accept that, some do not want to acknowledge it, and some are angry about it," adding, "So it appears amplified beyond ordinary conflicts. I think there is such a particularity. As our society matures, conflicts are likely to become more diversified and intensified. How to mediate and manage that will be a great challenge for politics."

Prime Minister Lee also said, "I called it practical progressivism," and explained, "Progressivism means moving forward, and adding the adjective 'practical' means that problems must be solved as they arise. If you only pursue distant values, you may stumble."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.