To Won Hee-ryong's "You should stop caring"... Lee Jun-seok responds, "Then who will worry?"

Lee Jun-seok, Leader of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] As conflicts between the leadership and candidates over the management of the People Power Party's presidential primary intensify, Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, and former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong engaged in a verbal dispute.

On the 10th, in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' former Governor Won criticized the presidential candidate events led by the party leadership and the Primary Preparation Committee (PPC), saying, "The PPC is not an organization stipulated in the party constitution, and since the presidential candidates have not yet registered, to speak as if cutoffs, music videos, and reality programs are finalized is an overreach."

He added, "There is a serious problem with a significant portion of these ideas coming from Leader Lee," and argued, "The party leader should lead the overall struggle against the Democratic Party administration. Interest in which primary program is better must be cut off."

Former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, Leader Lee directly addressed the issue in a post on his Facebook on the same day, stating, "I hope candidates refrain from making excessive remarks about the leadership and PPC's efforts to ensure fair management and excitement of the primary."

He emphasized, "If neither the leadership nor the PPC considers the primary seriously, it is unclear who exactly should do so. Does Candidate Won want to be both a candidate and a referee?" and added, "The planning and management of the primary must be centered on the party."

He continued, "Players who have to compete revealing their personal opinions and showing what they want or do not want based on their own interests is nothing but indulgence."

In response, former Governor Won posted on his Facebook under the title 'I hope Leader Lee Jun-seok deeply considers the true duties of the party leader,' stating, "The party leader's duty in managing the primary is to appoint referees," and warned, "It is the referee's role to monitor and supervise whether the game is conducted fairly; it is extremely dangerous for the party leader to act as the referee."

He added, "The excitement of the primary will naturally arise if candidates fiercely compete in policy and qualifications," and insisted, "Leader Lee must devote himself to forming an election commission composed of individuals who are absolutely fair in the eyes of the public."

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