Yoo In-tae: "Democrats Would Welcome Lee Jun-seok's Ouster... Was There Ever a Young Male Voting Trend Before Lee?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, Reporter Naju Seok] On June 9, Yoo In-tae, a senior figure in the opposition and former Secretary General of the National Assembly, predicted that if it were up to the Democratic Party of Korea, they would hope for Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, to be discarded after being used, much like the idiom "tosagupaeng" (to kill the dog after the hunt). He explained that since Lee clearly contributed to rallying support from men in their 20s for the People Power Party’s presidential candidate during the last election, the Democratic Party would have every reason to welcome his resignation amid internal conflict within the party.

Appearing on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show" that day, Yoo discussed the internal strife surrounding Lee and said, "Many people are talking about whether there is an attempt to discard Lee Jun-seok after using him," adding, "The Democratic Party is probably hoping for that outcome."

He remarked, "In the past, the younger generation hardly even looked at that party (the People Power Party), but even though it was a divisive tactic targeting only young men, was there ever a time before when so many young men voted for them?" Yoo recalled that during the presidential election, President Yoon Suk-yeol (then a candidate) reached out to Lee twice to resolve their conflict, saying, "They used him because they needed him, and if they had pushed him out, it would have been disadvantageous for the election. That’s how they managed to secure at least some votes from young men."

He continued, "It seems that the way he was treated back then left some lingering bitterness. I’m not sure if it’s the whole party or just some members, but it looks like there’s a desire to gradually push him out."

However, Yoo also said, "I don’t know the exact facts regarding the allegations of sexual favors raised against Lee," but predicted, "Members of the People Power Party likely still think Lee Jun-seok is necessary." He analyzed, "Many lawmakers are anxious that with the next general election coming up in about 1 year and 10 months-less than 2 years-if they push him out, their support might shrink again."

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