Lee Jae-myung and Ahn Cheol-soo Emphasize 'Responsible Politics'... Yet Criticism of "Lack of Justification" Persists

Presidential Candidates Running Side by Side in Incheon Gyeyang Eul and Seongnam Bundang Gap
Experts Say "Lee Jae-myung's Candidacy Will Negatively Affect the Entire Election"
"Ahn Cheol-soo Appears to Be Building a Political Base Within the People Power Party"

Lee Jae-myung, Senior Advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is running in the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election for the National Assembly, is taking a commemorative photo with supporters at the campaign announcement press conference held on the 8th at the outdoor performance hall of Gyeyang Mountain in Incheon. / Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Lee Jae-myung, Senior Advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Ahn Cheol-soo, Chair of the Presidential Transition Committee, who faced off in the 20th presidential election, have both declared their candidacies for the National Assembly by-elections held alongside the June 1 local elections. It appears to be an 'extension of the presidential election.'

Despite the responsibility for the presidential election defeat raised inside and outside the party, Lee declared his candidacy citing the 'Democratic Party's victory in the local elections' as justification. Ahn also cited 'Seondang Husa (先黨後私)'?putting the party before personal interests?as his reason for running, saying he would "lay the cornerstone for the success of the new government." However, there are also negative views on the unusually quick return of the two, criticizing it as a 'candidacy without justification' aimed at paving the way for the next presidential bid.

On the 8th, Lee declared his candidacy for Incheon Gyeyang-eul, and Ahn for Seongnam Bundang-gap. Lee held a press conference at Gyeyang Mountain in Incheon and said, "There were many advices to keep a distance from the local elections considering my political safety, and I myself was negative about an early return. However, I could not ignore the difficulties the party faces and the precarious situation of the local elections. After deep consideration, I decided to take a risky direct approach to support the struggling Democratic Party and lead the difficult local elections to victory."

Lee repeatedly emphasized that his candidacy is fulfilling responsibility as the defeated candidate. He said, "The responsibility for the presidential election result lies with me," adding, "The way to take responsibility is to open a path, even a little, for the party and candidates in difficulty and to create a faint hope for many citizens who still cannot turn on their TVs."

Lee's early return seems to be based on the judgment that the local elections and the National Assembly by-elections are trending unfavorably for the Democratic Party. The party leadership had consistently demanded Lee's role in this election. Since the election is held about three months after the presidential defeat, the strategy appears to be to rally the support base by fielding a prominent figure.

Ahn Cheol-soo, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, is being interviewed by Yonhap News at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.

On the same day, Ahn officially declared his candidacy for Seongnam Bundang-gap at the National Assembly Communication Office. Ahn emphasized 'responsible politics,' saying, "With the spirit of Seondang Husa, I will throw myself into laying the cornerstone for the success of the new government through victories not only in Bundang but also in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, and the metropolitan area."

Ahn cited Bundang-gap, where his company AhnLab is located, as his 'second hometown' to justify his candidacy. He said, "When no one paid attention, I anticipated the development potential of this area and built the AhnLab headquarters earlier than anyone else. I am a first-generation IT industry pioneer and the protagonist of the first-generation startup venture myth. I am confident that I am the best candidate to expand and leap forward Bundang's future value."

However, there are criticisms that both Lee and Ahn lack sufficient justification for running for the National Assembly. Lee, who served as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, has no ties to Incheon. Incheon Gyeyang-eul, the constituency of former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil, is a Democratic stronghold. There are also criticisms that Lee chose a favorable district for election. Ahn sharply criticized Lee, saying, "Avoiding the judgment of residents and going to a safe place with no ties is a tragic betrayal of residents and the height of irresponsibility in politics."

However, Ahn's candidacy for Seongnam Bundang-gap is also criticized for insufficient justification. Ahn served as a National Assembly member for Seoul Nowon-byeong in the 19th and 20th National Assembly and ran in the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election. Bundang-gap is also considered a traditional conservative stronghold. Both Lee and Ahn cited responsible politics as the reason for their early candidacies, but the political circle widely interprets that they ran to enter the National Assembly and then proceed to party leadership and presidential bids.

Professor Lee Jun-han of Incheon National University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy said, "Running for election is a right guaranteed by the constitution, and anyone qualified can run, but it is hard to welcome someone who ran for president to run for a National Assembly election so soon. Many point out that Lee bears responsibility for the presidential defeat and needs time for reflection and introspection. Ahn seems to have relatively more justification than Lee, but his qualifications are not sufficient."

Political commentator Yoo Chang-sun also commented on Lee’s candidacy for Incheon Gyeyang-gap, saying, "It looks like skipping reflection on defeat just two months after the presidential election and running as if holding another presidential election. Avoiding Bundang, where he politically grew, and running in an area with no ties can be seen as seeking only favorable districts while avoiding tough ones. This will negatively affect the June 1 elections and the Democratic Party overall." Yoo analyzed Ahn’s candidacy as "an attempt to build his political base within the People Power Party and prepare for the next step."

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