Lee Jae-myung "Illegal Chinese Fishing Boats Must Be Sunk... Speaking Out"

"Illegal Territorial Waters Invasion Must Be Sunk"
Yoon on 'THAAD Deployment' and 'Preemptive Strike Theory': "Early Stage of Far-Right Populism"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, expressed the position that a strong response is necessary regarding the issue of illegal fishing by Chinese vessels.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "We will strongly crack down on illegal fishing by North Korean or Chinese (fishing boats) in the eastern and western waters," adding, "I speak my mind."

In an interview with Segye Ilbo on the 8th, Lee addressed the issue of illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in our waters, saying, "It is an illegal intrusion into territorial waters, and such vessels should be sunk," and questioned, "Would we have tolerated Somali (fishing boats) if they came?"

Regarding the intensified anti-China sentiment following the appearance of hanbok at the opening ceremony of the '2022 Beijing Winter Olympics' and controversies over biased judging, he said, "It started with China's cultural and historical projects and worsened due to excessive economic sanctions related to THAAD, but there is no need to deny this," adding, "The issue should be pointed out, but it is more competent to prevent further deterioration."

Lee then criticized Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, saying, "Stimulating this and exploiting hostility to gain votes is the early stage of far-right populism."

He also took a jab at Yoon's security stance, which mentioned additional THAAD deployment and preemptive strikes against North Korea. Lee said, "The U.S. has a clear position that additional (THAAD) deployment is unnecessary," and expressed concern, "While South Korea, the U.S., and Japan can cooperate militarily, a military alliance is very dangerous for us." Regarding Yoon's remark that "the main enemy is North Korea," Lee questioned, "Isn't that a premodern way of thinking? We can cooperate and find mutually beneficial paths. How can you assert it so definitively?"

Earlier, on January 11, Yoon emphasized the 'preemptive strike theory' at a New Year's press conference, stating that if North Korea provokes with missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, "there is no way to stop it except a preemptive strike." On January 14, he also posted on his Facebook, "The main enemy is North Korea."

Regarding the possibility of an alliance with Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Party, and Kim Dong-yeon, the presidential candidate of the New Wave party, Lee said, "Politics is truly a living organism," and "I am considering various possibilities." He added, "Beyond factional differences, it is necessary to give capable talents the opportunity to work," and mentioned, "Politics should really facilitate interbreeding rather than inbreeding."

On allegations surrounding his spouse Kim Hye-kyung, including excessive protocol and misuse of corporate cards, he said, "It is my fault and a failure to properly manage those around me, so I apologize once again," adding, "I tried to distinguish between public and private matters, but there were shortcomings."

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