Lee Jun-seok's 'Deliberate Remarks' Urge Dissolution of Yoon's Campaign Committee... Will Approval Ratings Revive? [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

"No intention to return to the campaign committee," reiterated
"Yoon's approval rating surrounded except for those in their 60s... stunned"
Lunch meeting with Kim Jong-in... Will campaign committee conflicts be resolved?

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is seated at the 'Korean Pork Industry Development Forum' held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 29th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "I am dumbfounded." , "What kind of groundless confidence makes them think they have captured all the 10s and 20s as fish."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is becoming more outspoken. Some say he is emphasizing the crisis to tighten control ahead of the presidential election, while others believe he is calling for a strong reform because some generations are trailing Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, in approval ratings.

Lee also called for the disbandment of the current election campaign committee (campaign committee). However, candidate Yoon Seok-yeol publicly stated he has no intention to reorganize the campaign committee, raising concerns that the unprecedented conflict between the party leader and the presidential candidate during the election phase may last long.

Meanwhile, a meeting between Lee and Kim Jong-in, the general election campaign committee chairman, is scheduled, leading to speculation that there might be coordination on special measures to boost Yoon’s approval ratings, whether through resolving internal conflicts within the People Power Party, addressing Yoon’s approval ratings, or reorganizing the campaign committee.

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is greeting supporters upon arriving at the Daegu City Party Office on the 30th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Lee Jun-seok: "Surrounded except for those in their 60s... What kind of groundless confidence is this?"

On the 30th, Lee made pointed remarks in an interview with TBS Radio's 'Shin Jang-sik's Shin Jang Open.' Regarding the recent trend in Yoon’s approval ratings, Lee said, "Except for those in their 60s, we are now surrounded," and insisted, "We should not just do a pinpoint reorganization of the campaign committee but disband it entirely." On the idea of replacing the candidate, he dismissed it, saying, "If you replace the candidate, that election is a lost election."

He also strongly criticized the campaign committee, saying, "The mammoth (large-scale campaign committee) is the problem. It must be caught. They just eat a lot but do nothing properly." Lee pointed out that youth votes are drifting away, citing recent poll results.

He said, "I am truly dumbfounded," and added, "We have led the theory of generational encirclement and generational coalition by combining those in their 60s and 70s with those in their 10s, 20s, and 30s, but for some groundless confidence, those making key decisions in the campaign committee seem to have thought that the 10s and 20s were all fish already caught."

On that day, in the joint national indicator survey (NBS) conducted by four institutions?Embrain Public, K-stat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research?and the Korea Gallup survey commissioned by Seoul Shinmun released the previous day, Yoon Seok-yeol’s support rate was behind Lee Jae-myung in all age groups except for the elderly aged 60 and above. Particularly, in the Korea Gallup survey, Yoon’s support rate among those in their 20s dropped to a single digit of 9.5%. (NBS conducted from the 27th to 29th, Korea Gallup on the 27th and 28th, referenced from the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission)

Kim Jong-in, the overall election committee chairman of the People Power Party (center), and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader (left), are attending the first Central Election Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of December 7. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "It’s not easy to dismiss those people after inviting them... That’s why I say disband"

Lee strongly criticized, saying, "After the Seoul mayoral by-election, since I became party leader, any poll until November showed we got over 50% of the votes from the 20s, giving a wrong impression that we had caught all the fish there. Looking at today’s (30th NBS) poll, you can see how much they (Yoon’s campaign committee) misjudged; except for those in their 60s, we are now surrounded."

Lee said the problem lies with the current campaign committee, stating, "The mammoth is wrong. Riding it will be a disaster. Whether you get a new horse or bring a dog sled, you have to ride something else," and asserted, "You have to switch to some other form; if you keep riding this mammoth, the election is over." When the host asked if he meant to reorganize personnel like Lee Soo-jung, Shin Ji-ye, and Kim Min-jeon, Lee replied, "It’s not easy to dismiss those people after inviting them," adding, "That’s why I say disband."

Regarding this, Lee is scheduled to meet Kim Jong-in, the general election campaign committee chairman, for a lunch meeting at a restaurant in Yeouido during the day. Attention is focused on whether this meeting can resolve the internal conflict expressed by Lee’s resignation from his campaign committee position. The two had a lunch meeting on the 22nd as well, but they could not discuss Lee’s position at that time.

At this meeting, Kim is expected to listen to Lee’s opinions on reorganizing the campaign committee. Kim told reporters the day before (the 30th), "I will ask Lee what he plans to do about the campaign committee," adding, "It’s about what role Lee played during the initial formation of the campaign committee." He continued, "If we meet tomorrow and talk in detail, I believe various current concerns people have will be resolved."

However, Lee’s return to the campaign committee remains uncertain. On the previous day, Lee linked a media article on Facebook stating that he expressed his intention to return during a dinner with some first-term lawmakers, emphasizing, "I have not changed my position at all." He added, "When I repeat usual remarks at meals or meetings, those who spoke with me or were present tend to interpret them very expansively and convey them to the media." Lee said, "I hope the campaign committee will focus on election measures rather than Lee Jun-seok measures as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, candidate Yoon has publicly stated he has no intention to reorganize the campaign committee. During a visit to Daegu the previous day, Yoon said, "There will be no reorganization of the campaign committee, and the general election campaign committee chairman shares the same view," emphasizing, "However, the campaign committee needs continuous changes and improvements to operate more efficiently until the election day."

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