Lee Jun-seok "Grateful to Park Geun-hye but Impeachment Was Justified... What's the Problem?"

"Thankful to the person who brought me into the place to wrestle with people"

Former People Power Party Supreme Council Member Lee Jun-seok declares his candidacy for party leader on the afternoon of the 20th at the People Power Party Central Office in Yeouido, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former People Power Party Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok stated on the 21st, "I am grateful to former President Park Geun-hye for selecting me. However, the impeachment was justified," adding, "I say this wherever I go, so what is the problem?" Lee was recruited as an emergency committee member in 2011 when Park, then the chairperson of the emergency committee of the Grand National Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), was in charge, and was classified as one of the 'Park Geun-hye Kids.'

Lee, who has expressed his intention to run for the party leader of the People Power Party, posted on Facebook that day, "After announcing something at the party headquarters yesterday, my ten years from the beginning to now flashed through my mind like a whirlwind," he began.

He continued, "As I challenge the great mountain called party leader, I often fall into deep reflection. Along with fundamental questions about why I am doing this and how I came to do it. The start is thanks to that person and because of that," he said.

Photo by Lee Jun-seok, former Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, Facebook capture.

Earlier, he also made headlines by expressing gratitude to former President Park the day before. Through his Facebook, he said, "In 2021, I really wanted to peacefully rest by reading books and coding, but since I was 27, hardly any year has gone according to plan, so I am now just used to it. When I think about it, it is all because of that person who pulled me into this game," he said.

He added, "But I am always grateful to that person who pulled me out from wrestling with computers to wrestling with people," he said.

The 'that person' Lee mentioned appears to refer to former President Park. Lee entered politics in 2011 at the age of 26 and was classified as one of the 'Park Geun-hye Kids' along with former Saenuri Party Future Generation Committee Chair Son Su-jo. At that time, after graduating from Harvard University in the United States, he gained attention for his activities with 'Baenasa' (People Sharing Learning), which provided free tutoring to low-income students.

Later, in 2017, he moved to the Bareun Party, which was founded immediately after the impeachment of former President Park, and subsequently went through the Bareunmirae Party and the New Conservative Party. Also, just before last year's general election, conservative parties merged into the United Future Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), and Lee became a member of the People Power Party.

Meanwhile, it is reported that starting next week, he plans to stay in Daegu, known as former President Park's political hometown and a conservative stronghold, for two weeks to listen to public opinion.

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