Lee Jae-myung downplays meeting with Kim Jong-in: "A person I have closely worked with, met to seek advice"

Kim Jong-in, Lee Sang-don, and Other Conservative Elders
Series of Meetings
Lee Jae-myung Moves to Expand Outreach

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the joint meeting of city and provincial party chairpersons held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 7th, delivering a greeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, said on the 7th regarding his meeting with Kim Jong-in, former People Power Party chief election strategist, the day before, "He is someone I have always been close to, and since it was the New Year, I met him to also seek advice." When asked about the specific details of their conversation, he refrained from elaborating, saying, "It is inappropriate to disclose."

On the same day, Lee met with reporters at the Yeouido party headquarters and said, "As Kim Jong-in himself has publicly stated before, he said he would meet me anytime, and I frequently consulted him, even when he was the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party in the past, by calling him," explaining the situation.

Regarding the question about what was discussed over two days with the two senior figures, including Lee Sang-don, a former lawmaker and Lee’s professor at Chung-Ang University Law School, he said, "Both are people I have known very well for a long time and often consult with over the phone," adding, "It would not be appropriate to disclose the detailed contents of our conversations. I can only say that they gave me a lot of helpful advice."

Lee said, "Shortly after coming out of the meeting with former Chairman Kim yesterday, I was quite taken aback when reporters called," and added, "Since there were people present at the meeting, it would be better to confirm the details with the representative or the professors. I think it is inappropriate for me to comment. I ask for your understanding."

Regarding reports that he plans to meet with Yoon Yeo-jun, former Minister of Environment, on the 8th, Lee explained, "Minister Yoon is a very capable elder, and I have known him for a long time, so I occasionally call and consult with him. That is all I will say."

Lee has been meeting consecutively with conservative elders, including former Chairman Kim Jong-in on the 6th, former lawmaker Lee Sang-don on the 7th, and former Minister Yoon Yeo-jun on the 8th.

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