Jin Joong-kwon: "Lee Jae-myung, a person tightly bound by lust for power... risking his life to hide his true identity"

"Lee: Hire People Who Do 'My Work' Rather Than Just Those Who Work Well"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung and former Dongyang University professor Jin Jung-kwon (from left). / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon described Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, as "a person who has been tightly packed with a desire for power since birth."

On the 7th, Jin appeared on the YouTube channel Economic Society TV's 'Jeon Ji-hyun's Pick & Talk' and, when asked by the host about "the similarities and differences between President Moon Jae-in and Governor Lee," he said, "They cannot be compared. They are too different," adding, "President Moon is a figurehead. He was pushed by the pro-Roh (pro Roh Moo-hyun) faction that needed a face."

Regarding Governor Lee, he said, "He rose from the bottom by any means necessary," and claimed, "How many lawsuits has he filed recklessly? He must have filed hundreds of lawsuits while rising to his current position. He even sued media companies and tried to send people to psychiatric hospitals."

He added, "He risked his life to block any criticism of himself or any possibility that his true identity would be exposed."

Furthermore, Jin said, "(Governor Lee) distributes public authority to his loyal subordinates to make them his allies," and "He doesn't choose people who do their job well but those who will do 'his work.'"

He cited food columnist Hwang Kyo-ik and Yoo Dong-gyu as examples, saying, "This is a way to maintain his support base, but that method uses public authority for private gain," and criticized, "This is his style. If he becomes president, there will be 5,000 positions to distribute. If they also distribute positions below them, what will happen to the country?"

However, regarding why he once defended Lee's use of abusive language toward his sister-in-law, Jin said, "I saw it as a private matter and believed his explanation," but added, "Recently, I realized it was all fabricated. I was deceived by propaganda tactics."

Former Dongyang University Professor Jin Joong-kwon. / Photo by YouTube 'Economic Society TV' capture

Meanwhile, regarding why former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl occupies a significant portion in Jin's recently published book, Jin explained, "(Yoon) represents fairness and common sense," and "When the People Power Party failed to exert power as the opposition, he was the only person who fought against the government and ruling party with a righteous cause. He made people consider the possibility of regime change. Because of this, regardless of whether he is ready as a presidential candidate or not, he draws expectations."

However, when asked if he sees Yoon as progressing from the head of prosecution to a national leader, Jin replied, "He is still insufficient," and said, "I probably won't vote for Yoon Seok-youl in this election. He has a leftist stubbornness."

He continued, "My stance this time is that the Democratic Party is absolutely unacceptable. In the past, I was firmly against conservative rule, but this time I accept conservative rule. I haven't decided who to vote for yet," he added.

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