Jo Hae-jin: "Lee Jun-seok seems to be trying to raise his political stature by creating a one-on-one dynamic with the president"

"Criticism Beyond Frank Advice for President Lee's Success"

Rep. Jo Hae-jin of the People Power Party. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Rep. Cho Hae-jin of the People Power Party criticized former leader Lee Jun-seok for his continuous harsh criticism of the party and President Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "He has gone beyond the level of frank advice and harsh criticism meant for the president's success." Rep. Cho, who had shown a balanced stance from a moderate position, appears to have criticized former leader Lee because he judged that Lee's messages and actions had crossed the line.

On the 19th, Rep. Cho said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "The intentions of former leader Lee are increasingly being exposed."

He pointed out, "He keeps mocking, ridiculing, exposing, and even though it hasn't been confirmed, he says he 'heard' that the president called him (Lee) a certain name. Even the opposition party doesn't go that far."

He added, "(Former leader Lee) seems to be trying to create a one-on-one confrontation with the president to boost his political standing," and said, "In a way, it's like a 'you die, I die' kind of kamikaze operation."

Regarding President Yoon's comment during a press conference marking his 100th day in office on the 17th, when asked about former leader Lee, that he "did not keep track of it," Rep. Cho said, "If the president had made a direct evaluative comment, former leader Lee would not have stayed silent. He would have latched onto it, mocked, and ridiculed it endlessly."

He continued, "(President Yoon) avoided giving a direct answer, but former leader Lee used this as a reason to pick a fight," and questioned, "Can we just go along with this provocation and attempt to drag the president into a fight?" Former leader Lee had retorted to President Yoon's remark of "did not keep track of it" by saying, "Disrespectfully, the president did not properly keep track of what was said."

Rep. Cho suggested a solution to the conflict among former leader Lee, President Yoon, and the People Power Party, saying, "The best thing would have been if (President Yoon) had embraced former leader Lee with a broad and generous message of inclusion." However, he added, "In the absence of that, the only option is to not respond to former leader Lee."

Furthermore, he said, "If the president embraces and accepts former leader Lee, I believe Lee should respond in kind, but even if he does not and pushes away, that alone would largely resolve the conflict and bring public sentiment back to a normal track."

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