Party Leader Lee Jun-seok, Who Mentioned the Poisoned 'Holy Grail'... "I Have No Choice but to Work Hard"

Na Kyung-won Raises Faction Issue and Attacks... "Concerned That Only Yoo Seung-min Is on the Primary Train"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok, who topped the preliminary race for the People Power Party leadership, likened the party leader position to a "poisoned chalice," expressing a solemn determination. He said that if he wins the party leadership but fails to create a new government, he might have to "retire early from politics," also using the expression "riding on the back of a tiger." His competitor, former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, revived the "Lee Jun-seok faction controversy" raised during the preliminary race and launched a focused defense.

In a radio interview on the morning of the 31st, former Supreme Council member Lee said, "(The party leader position) could be a poisoned chalice for me," adding, "If I fail to seize the presidency due to my own fault, it would be an embarrassing situation for me, so I have no choice but to work hard. If I fail to create a new government, I might retire early from politics." On the same day, he appeared on another radio program and said, "After entering the party convention, I realized I was riding on the back of a tiger." Having taken first place in the preliminary race, he advanced with the momentum of gihojisese (騎虎之勢, the spirit of riding a tiger), but at the same time, it is a precarious situation.

Meanwhile, the "Lee Jun-seok whirlwind" atmosphere has intensified after the announcement of the preliminary race cut-off. In a public opinion poll conducted by PNR Research on behalf of Money Today and the Future Korea Research Institute (conducted on the 29th, targeting 1,004 adults nationwide, with a sampling error of ±3.1% at a 95% confidence level, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website), he received 40.7% support. Former lawmaker Na came in second with 19.5%.

Former lawmaker Na appears to be on edge. In a radio interview that day, he said, "Former Supreme Council member Lee said he wanted to make former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min president," adding, "There is concern that he might put Yoo Seung-min on the presidential primary train and leave." This is a criticism questioning whether a fair presidential primary would be possible if Lee, who claims to be part of the Yoo Seung-min faction, is elected party leader.

Regarding these issues, former Supreme Council member Lee introduced himself by saying, "Since I am from the Bareun Party, I can be called part of the Bareun Party faction, and that party's presidential candidate was Yoo Seung-min, who is also a friend of my father." He rebutted, "It is not strange to say that I want to make Yoo Seung-min, the presidential candidate of my party, president, and during the Saenuri Party days, I was also all-in on making President Park Geun-hye." The five candidates who passed the cut-off for party leader will appear on MBC's '100-Minute Debate' that night to engage in discussion.

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