Hong Joon-pyo: "Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee Jun-seok Consider Each Other Politically Immature and Childish"

"Just accept each other, but conflicts arise"
"Lee Party Leader's Resignation Is Not Right"

Hong Joon-pyo, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, diagnosed the deepening conflict between presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol and party leader Lee Jun-seok, including the controversy over 'bypassing the party leader,' as "because they do not acknowledge each other."

On the 1st, Hong responded to a question posted in the 'Cheongmun Hongdap (Hong Joon-pyo answers the concerns of youth)' section of the online platform Cheongnyeonui Kkum (Youth's Dream), created to communicate with the younger generation. The question was, "Wouldn't it be better if Lee Jae-myung (the Democratic Party presidential candidate) became president instead? Looking at Yoon's recent behavior, even if he becomes president, conservatism seems doomed. Wouldn't it be better if Lee Jae-myung destroys progressivism and conservatism gains hope?"

Hong said, "Leader Lee sees candidate Yoon as politically immature, and candidate Yoon sees leader Lee as a child, so they clash."

Regarding a question on the 30th about "How should the controversy over bypassing Leader Lee be handled?" Hong advised, "If you are going to be bypassed, you could resign as the standing election committee chairman and just protect the party as the party leader. Let the election committee handle things among themselves."

When asked, "If you have advice for Leader Lee?" he replied, "Silently follow your own path," and "You can overcome it on your own." To the question, "How do you expect Leader Lee's future actions?" he said, "He should not resign from the party leadership."

Meanwhile, Leader Lee posted a cryptic message on his Facebook on the 29th of last month saying, "Then this is it," and has canceled all schedules and gone into seclusion since the next day.

Some speculate that Leader Lee's dissatisfaction stems from the failed inclusion of Professor Lee Soo-jung of Kyonggi University, a criminal psychologist whom he publicly opposed recruiting, the failed joining of former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in, and the controversy over schedule bypassing.

After canceling all schedules, Leader Lee went down to Busan on the 30th of last month, held a late-night meeting with former National Assembly Speaker Chung Eui-hwa, and on the 1st, visited the office of Assemblyman Jang Je-won in Sasang District, Busan.

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