Lee Kwangjae: "Presidency? I Am a Person With Many Shortcomings"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, reporter Park Chuleung] Lee Kwangjae, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, dismissed some calls for him to run for president, saying, "I am a person with many shortcomings."

On December 16, during an appearance on YTN Radio's "Hwang Boseon's Morning Start," Lee responded to a question about a possible presidential bid by saying, "I don't think 'presidential ambition' is a good term. It is a position of service. There are many good people, such as Representative Lee Nakyon, Governor Lee Jaemyung, and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. As for me, I am a person with many shortcomings."

Regarding the Seoul mayoral by-election, he said, "There are already good people preparing for the race. I believe that the Seoul mayoralty becoming a stepping stone to the presidency could make Seoul citizens unhappy," adding, "I hope that those who are preparing now will create a wonderful Seoul."

He recently published a book titled "Roh Moo-hyun Was Right." Lee said, "If I spent my 30s as an aide who helped make President Roh Moo-hyun, in my 40s I dreamed of building my own political world like Yi Seonggye. However, looking back on the past ten years, I realized that President Roh Moo-hyun's vision and world were much greater. I once thought I could add something extra, but now I think that even achieving just one of President Roh's aspirations is not easy."

Regarding the recent debate over 'fair rent,' he commented, "A law was passed to provide tax benefits to those who lower rents, but I think it would be more realistic to take even bolder measures."

He continued, "We need to significantly increase (housing) supply," emphasizing, "Because there are many single-person households, we need a substantial supply that fundamentally changes the structure of homes. We must firmly protect single-homeowners and establish clear measures for those who own multiple homes."

On the disciplinary action against Prosecutor General Yoon Seokyeol, he said, "It must have been an inevitable decision," and explained, "Prosecution reform and the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) have been persistently advocated by both ruling and opposition parties for the past 24 years. This is because absolute power requires a watchdog." Lee added, "I believe the prosecution has now entered a new era under the control of the people."

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