Lee Jae-myung Pants Remark Aftershock "Don't Ask Such Questions, Just Search the Internet... Feels Like a Witch Hunt"

Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province and a presidential primary candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a greeting at the 'National Assembly Forum on the Enactment of the Real Estate Market Act' held at the Glad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 6th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The aftermath of Gyeonggi Province Governor and Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's "pants" remark continues.

On the 6th, after concluding a real estate debate held in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee was asked about the controversy sparked by his response during the previous day's TV debate to a question regarding the "actress scandal," where he said, "Shall I pull down my pants once?"

In response, Lee retorted, "What am I supposed to do about that?" and added, "From now on, don't ask such questions and instead diligently search the internet." Regarding the intense attacks he received from other candidates during the Democratic Party presidential primary TV debate, he said, "It is very useful as a kind of vaccine to build immunity," but also expressed concern, "However, I worry that the vaccine might be too strong and cause illness, but I will endure it well and ensure the one team is not broken."

He cited the previous day's TV debate as an example, saying, "'You're a witch!' and when I said, 'I'm not,' they said, 'Prove that you're not!' How can I prove that? It felt like a witch hunt, but I think it should be accepted as part of the competition," he added.

Regarding criticism that he only showed a defensive stance during the debate, he said, "In an A-match, an international competition, you must win no matter what. At that time, you have to fight hard even at the risk of injury," but also likened the primary to "an internal team-building process. If the team breaks down due to injuries, the main game, the final match, becomes at risk."

Earlier, during the second TV debate of the Democratic Party primary co-hosted by JTBC and MBN the previous afternoon, Lee was asked about the so-called "scandal" by former Prime Minister Chung, to which he responded, "Shall I pull my pants down once more?" Other presidential candidates within the party criticized this as an "inappropriate response."

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