"If Voter Turnout Exceeds 70%, I Will Quit Carbohydrates," Lee Jun-seok's Absurd Pledge

"Unique Pledges" vs "What Does It Have to Do with Voting?"
Lee Jun-seok's 'Diet Pledge' Sparks Public Debate
"An Attempt to Show New Leadership, but Appears More Like a Critic"

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Ahead of the party member vote to select the People Power Party's presidential candidate, Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, attracted attention by stating, "If the voter turnout exceeds 70%, I will cut carbohydrates for a month." While some viewed this as an unusual pledge, others criticized it as treating politics and elections lightly.

On the 31st of last month, Lee encouraged party members to vote through his Facebook, saying, "If the voter turnout exceeds 70%, I will cut carbohydrates for a month." Currently, his Facebook profile states, "I am practicing a low-carb, high-fat diet," suggesting that while he is focusing on managing his weight, his unusual pledge was intended to raise interest in voter turnout and the primary election.

However, some found Lee's remarks difficult to understand. Comments on his Facebook post and related articles included, "What does his diet have to do with party member voting?" "I don't understand why he links personal matters to voting," "Whether he cuts carbohydrates or anything else, diaries should be kept in a diary," and "Is this kind of lightheartedness the trend these days?"

One commentator directly criticized Lee's remarks on his social network service (SNS), stating, "Whether Lee Jun-seok cuts carbohydrates or not cannot serve as an incentive for encouraging voting," and added, "This seems less like actual encouragement and more like an unconscious outburst."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Jeonnam Provincial Party Committee Chairpersons' Meeting held on the morning of the 21st of last month at the Olympic Memorial National Living Center in Suncheon Palma Sports Complex, Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do. / Photo by Yonhap News

Criticism of Lee's lighthearted remarks has occurred recently as well. On the 22nd of last month, when the controversy over Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential primary candidate, and the 'dog apology' arose, Lee posted on Facebook, "Woke up this morning to something beyond common sense... feeling complicated."

Although Lee did not specify the exact feelings behind the post, it was interpreted as an attempt to manage the backlash against Yoon's dog apology controversy.

However, some criticized the comment as inappropriate, arguing that the party leader was trying to downplay a serious issue with a playful attitude rather than a serious one. Comments on Lee's post included, "I don't know if he's trying to manage the situation or escalate it," "The party leader should either take charge and manage the situation or issue a strong warning," and "There is no sense of gravity as the party leader."

Voices criticizing Lee also emerged in the political sphere. Oh Hyun-joo, spokesperson for the Justice Party, said, "Lee Jun-seok should not gloss over his party's presidential candidate's public apology show and public mockery with words like 'beyond common sense, feeling complicated,'" and demanded, "Lee should take responsibility and take firm party disciplinary measures."

Experts analyzed that both negative and positive evaluations could be made regarding Lee's remarks. Professor Lee Jun-han of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University said, "It is true that Lee's remarks receive mixed evaluations. The role of the party leader can be seen as contributing to raising interest in voter turnout and the primary election, and in that approach, he seems to be adopting a new, younger generation style different from the past."

He added, "Overall, it appears he is trying to show a new image of a party leader different from the past. However, regarding Lee's SNS post about Yoon's dog apology controversy, it is true that it seems more like a commentator's stance than that of a party leader."

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