Lee Jun-seok Fever Draws Attention from Japanese Media... "Rapid Rise to 36-Year-Old Leader of South Korea's Largest Opposition Party"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Prominent Japanese media outlets on the 2nd focused on the phenomenon of candidate Lee Jun-seok creating a sensation in the preliminary election for the leader of South Korea's opposition party, the People Power Party.

On the same day, Asahi Shimbun introduced Lee as "a 36-year-old young man who has never been elected in an election but is rapidly rising as the leader of the largest conservative opposition party in South Korea" through an international news article.

Asahi analyzed, "Lee is gaining support mainly from the younger generation demanding generational change," adding, "If a 'new leader' emerges to lead the People Power Party, it will have a significant impact on the South Korean presidential election nine months later."

Earlier, on the 28th of last month, Asahi described Lee's passing the preliminary election for party leader in first place as "a severe earthquake has struck the People Power Party."

Asahi noted that Lee caught the attention of former President Park Geun-hye in his mid-20s in 2011, joined the Saenuri Party, and played a role as a party reform leader. Although he ran three times in general and by-elections after 2016, he was defeated each time. It analyzed that the supporters of his rise are mainly young people.

It also introduced the words of Bae Jong-chan, head of Insight K, saying, "People in their 20s and 30s who feel society is unfair empathize with Lee, who has experienced frustration through electoral defeats."

Asahi also introduced a 30-year-old man living in Seoul who supports Lee, stating the reason for his support as "there is nothing to expect from politicians with outdated ways of thinking."

Asahi pointed out that in South Korea, one must be at least 40 years old to run for president, so Lee cannot run as a presidential candidate in the March election next year. It conveyed remarks from officials that if Lee becomes the leader, he could gain support not only from conservatives but also from centrists, allowing the People Power Party to aim for a recovery in party strength.

However, Asahi added that there are strong views within the People Power Party doubting whether the young and politically inexperienced Lee can unify the party's nationwide organizations ahead of next year's presidential election.

Another major Japanese daily, Mainichi Shimbun, also reported in its print edition on the same day that Lee, who has no experience as a member of the National Assembly, is creating a sensation by emphasizing generational change in the People Power Party leadership race aiming to regain power in the March presidential election next year.

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