Lee Jun-seok "Saenuri Party Name, Did Lee Man-hee Coin It? Absolutely Not True"

Lee Jun-seok, Supreme Council Member of the United Future Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] On the 26th, Lee Jun-seok, the Supreme Council Member of the Future United Party, dismissed claims that the name of the party's predecessor, the 'Saenuri Party,' was given by Lee Man-hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

Lee, appearing on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' said, "As a member of the emergency committee, I was well aware of the meeting where the Saenuri Party's name was decided. The name came through a public contest, and ten people were awarded," he stated.

He added, "Since I know the process of the contest, it is not true," and clarified, "There was no submission from Lee Man-hee."

He further explained, "At the meeting where the Chinese name of the party was decided, since Saenuri Party was a pure Korean name, various ideas for translation such as 'Shin Gukga Party,' 'Shin Segye Party,' and 'Shincheonji Party' came up," adding, "The name 'Shincheonji Party' (Chinese name) was rejected because it evoked a specific religion, and the opinion was that it should absolutely not be used."

Lee also said, "'Shin Segye Party' was rejected because it reminded people of a specific distribution company. So, what we decided on was 'Shin Gukga Party.' If there had really been a connection and intention, we would have chosen 'Shincheonji Party,'" he added.

In response to the question of whether the name was chosen unknowingly or by deception, he said, "Among those who participated in the contest were aides from lawmakers' offices and ordinary citizens. For example, unless someone specifically reports that 'this person is a Shincheonji believer,' it is impossible to know," and added, "The list of contest participants is still public, so please check it to see if anyone is affiliated with Shincheonji."

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