[Interview] Lee Jun-seok "Yoon, a Type Never Seen Before... Three-Year Extension of the Safe Freight Rate System Is Enough"

Yoon Is Confident and Detail-Oriented
MB Pardon Should Be 'Suspension of Sentence Execution'

Lee Jun-seok, Leader of the People Power Party./Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, did not hesitate to clearly express his views on current issues. Regarding the "one month of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration," he described it as "a type of president never seen before," and in response to the claim that a second secretariat should be established for the official activities of First Lady Kim Geon-hee, he said, "That is not the case."

In an interview with Asia Economy held on the 15th at the party leader's office in the National Assembly, Lee was asked about President Yoon's first month in office. He said, "President Yoon dislikes being treated with special deference and is showing an anti-authoritarian approach different from former President Roh Moo-hyun," adding, "He is confident and pays close attention to details." He continued, "When you talk with him, you realize that President Yoon understands even minor figures and explains the logic behind policy matters."

Although it is still early days since the government was launched, Lee appeared unconcerned about the fact that the president's approval rating has not risen significantly. When asked if he thought there was room for it to increase further, he nodded emphatically. He explained, "Even with the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union strike, although it was a bit delayed, a resolution was eventually reached. I believe that the moment the public senses a change in the direction of national governance, the approval rating will rise."

Regarding his relationship with President Yoon, Lee described it as "good communication." He emphasized that his recent visit to Ukraine was made after thorough consultations with both the presidential office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lee said, "The schedule in Ukraine was entirely arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," adding, "From the beginning, I told the Ministry that I would only listen regarding military support."

Lee has also directly reported to President Yoon about what he heard in Ukraine. He said, "Ukraine mentioned that alongside military support, they especially need a lot of our assistance in reconstruction and infrastructure development," and added, "This is a point the government is considering regarding arms exports. We are reviewing whether it will be direct or indirect support."

Regarding the private leakage of photos of First Lady Kim Geon-hee and her accompanying private acquaintances during her visit to Bongha Village, Lee said, "No matter how modest First Lady Kim's activities are, it should be avoided that photos are first exposed through private organizations and only later handled by official organizations."

On the core issue of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union's general strike, the "Safe Freight Rate System," Lee agreed with extending the implementation period rather than abolishing it. He explained, "I think an extension of about three years is sufficient. It has been very difficult to measure over the past three years. Whether traffic accidents have decreased or increased is one criterion, but the indicators have fluctuated wildly. There were even years when accidents increased. We need to see if it was an effective system." However, regarding the expansion of applicable cargo types, he said, "We need to review other types of cargo as well," adding, "If we are to align with the name 'Safe Freight Rate System,' I think judgments should be based on the actual work rather than the consignors."

Regarding the controversy over the pardon of former President Lee Myung-bak, Lee expressed the view that "suspension of sentence execution" is a more appropriate form than a "pardon." He said, "Because he is quite elderly, suspension of sentence execution is possible, but a pardon feels somewhat different," adding, "Everyone is rightly concerned about former President Lee's health, but there is hesitation about whether to take the form of a pardon, partly because his time served is relatively short." Regarding the discussions about pardons including former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo, Lee strongly opposed, saying, "Absolutely not if they are lumped together like that."

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