Lee Jae-myung Starts 'Local Election Comeback'... Lee Sang-min Says "Step Back and Exercise Restraint"

Lee Jae-myung, Standing Advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference conceding the presidential election on March 10 at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. / Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Lee Sang-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Lee Jae-myung, the party's standing advisor, saying, "Isn't it time to step back and take a rest?"

On the 5th, Lee appeared on MBN's 'Pressroom Comes' and stated, "(Advisor Lee) was the main person responsible for losing the presidential election, and he also struggled a lot during the election process, so it might be reasonable for him to recharge in that sense."

Lee expressed concern about Advisor Lee resuming his political activities ahead of the local elections scheduled for June 1. He criticized, "If he becomes impatient and immediately thinks about becoming the emergency committee chairman, party leader, or influencing the local elections to build a power base, he will face failure."

Regarding Advisor Lee taking the position of head of his online fan cafe, 'Jaemyung's Village Fan Club,' Lee said, "Since he is a politician, he cannot completely stop political activities, but he needs to be more cautious. Impatience causes loss of composure and clouds judgment."

Earlier, on the 2nd, Advisor Lee accepted the position of 'head' of his fan cafe 'Jaemyung's Village.' He posted, "I had many concerns, but since the decision was made through voting, I cannot refuse."

Lee Sang-min, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Photo by Yonhap News

Democratic Party emergency committee member Chae Yi-bae also appeared on YTN Radio's 'Lee Jae-yoon's News Face-off' on the afternoon of the 5th, saying, "Usually, when someone loses a presidential election, they go abroad or take a break to reflect, which has been the custom so far, but Advisor Lee seems to have continuous energy," adding, "He is currently active without taking a special break."

He continued, "Many expect that (Advisor Lee) will run in the August party convention. Ultimately, we will have to watch what decision Advisor Lee makes at that time."

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-myung's camp is treating his political comeback as a foregone conclusion. According to the Democratic Party, some pro-Lee Jae-myung lawmakers suggested on the 4th that the former governor embark on a 'nationwide tour of consolation visits' for those who lost elections. The proposal is to start with Honam and travel nationwide as a warm-up for resuming activities.

On the same day, Jeong Seong-ho, a Democratic Party lawmaker considered part of the 'Lee Jae-myung faction,' said, "Supporters in Honam are very frustrated and disappointed, so I think it should start with the former governor comforting those people."

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