Lee Jeong-hyun to Run in Yeongdeungpo-eul, Seoul... "Withdraw United Party Nomination" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] Independent lawmaker Lee Jung-hyun has declared his candidacy for the Yeongdeungpo-eul district in the upcoming April general election. He called on the United Future Party to "withdraw the nomination for the district and cooperate so that I can run as the unified opposition candidate," warning, "If they do not, the current situation will continue until the end."

On the morning of the 1st, Lee held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Hall, stating, "I intend to run in the Yeongdeungpo-eul constituency, the political hotspot where the legislative branch of the Republic of Korea is located, in the 21st general election."

He described the district as "a strategic key point in this election to protect the rule of law, which is being undermined by the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "Based on my 36 years of experience in electoral politics, if we fail to suppress the ruling power in this district, the overall election landscape, especially in Jongno where I willingly conceded to the leader of the main opposition party, will not be properly contested."

Previously, Lee had declared his candidacy for Jongno but reversed his position after Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party, announced his run in Jongno.

He urged, "The United Future Party should make more efforts toward a horizontal opposition coalition to judge the Moon administration in the Yeongdeungpo-eul district until just before candidate registration," and appealed, "Please unite your strength with me."

The United Future Party’s nomination committee has already nominated Park Yong-chan, the party spokesperson and former MBC anchor, for Yeongdeungpo-eul. In response, Lee emphasized, "I ask them to withdraw the nomination and cooperate so that I can run as the unified opposition candidate in the opposition coalition to judge the Moon administration," warning, "If they do not, I will continue with the current situation until the end."

According to Lee, after giving up his intention to run in Jongno, he met with Hwang’s camp to discuss running in Yeongdeungpo-eul. He said, "Before the United Future Party announced their nomination, I conveyed through various channels the significance and importance of the Yeongdeungpo-eul election and my utmost interest, expressing my willingness to run here either as part of a horizontal opposition coalition or by joining the party."

However, it appears that Lee and the United Future Party did not see eye to eye during the negotiations. He expressed displeasure, saying, "Despite conveying my intentions several times during this nomination process, I believe the party made a strategic mistake," and added, "Devotion, sacrifice, and concession are not mine alone. To win the hearts of the people, the United Future Party must learn human courtesy before politics."

Regarding Kim Min-seok, a former lawmaker who secured the Yeongdeungpo-eul nomination through the Democratic Party’s primary, Lee said, "He is not only an excellent talent in politics but also a very good candidate to advance Korean politics," and expressed his desire to "compete without negativity on political innovation, reform, and future development, and receive the people's choice."

He further stated about the opposition coalition, "We must establish a general election coalition through a horizontal roundtable meeting without majority or minority distinctions, including Ahn Cheol-soo, Hwang Kyo-ahn, Park Joo-sun, Jeong Dong-yeop, and Yoo Sung-yeop," adding, "We must build an opposition coalition in any form, including independents."

Meanwhile, Lee previously served as the leader of the Saenuri Party, the predecessor of the Liberty Korea Party, but resigned as party leader and left the party in January 2017 after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against former President Park Geun-hye.

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