Lee Jae-myung: "My combative image has softened a lot. Do you know why?"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, attracted attention by explaining the background behind the significant softening of his 'combative image.'

At a New Year's press briefing held on the 6th at the Gyeonggi Governor's official residence in Paldal-gu, Suwon, Governor Lee said, "(Lee Jae-myung is originally) a standout figure, but these days I often hear that I am not standing out," adding, "From now on, I will do my best to achieve results in provincial administration."

Governor Lee cited three reasons for this change in situation.

First, he explained, "When I was the mayor of Seongnam, I was more political. This was because at that time, the ruling party was not the Democratic Party, and the president was President Lee Myung-bak," adding, "In such a situation, it was necessary to take the lead in making bold statements with courage, and combative activities were also necessary."

He also recalled, "During my time as mayor of Seongnam, President Lee Myung-bak and the Presidential Secretariat conducted a search and seizure on me for three months and accused me of being pro-North Korean," adding, "In such circumstances, a fighting spirit was an inevitable choice."

Furthermore, he said, "(Since taking office as governor in July 2018) until last year was a period of agenda setting, but now we are producing results," adding, "From now on, (in a situation where results are being produced) I do not want to raise issues just for the sake of controversy. I will do my best for stable provincial administration."

He also expressed his hope to become a large ship like a cruise ship rather than a small boat easily swayed by the current.

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