Dispute Between Lee Jun-seok and Jeong Jin-seok Over the Recommendation Background of 'Kim Haeng' by the Public Office Committee

Jeong Jin-seok "Pressure on Jeong Jin-seok's Party Committee? Regret"
Lee Jun-seok "Someone who is neither party leader nor committee chair"

There was a verbal dispute between former People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok and PPP lawmaker Jeong Jin-seok, who was the head of the nomination management committee at the time, over the background of the appointment of Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family who is rumored to have a close relationship with First Lady Kim Geon-hee, as a ruling party nomination committee member in the local elections held in June last year.

On the 19th, Jeong posted on his social media, "Today, former leader Lee called me recalling that day. It seems Lee wanted to talk about the 'behind-the-scenes' of Kim's joining the 'Jeong Jin-seok nomination committee,'" adding, "I regret that former leader Lee mentioned the formation of the 'Jeong Jin-seok nomination committee' as if there was some 'external pressure' or 'interference.'"

On the 16th, Jeong Jin-seok, a member of the People Power Party, is moving to pay his respects at the funeral hall of Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where the funeral altar for Yoon Ki-joong, honorary professor at Yonsei University and father of President Yoon Seok-yeol, has been set up. / Photo by Joint Press Corps

Jeong expressed regret toward Lee because of Lee's remarks on a radio show the previous day. Kim had joined the PPP nomination committee as a spokesperson ahead of the local elections in June last year, and Lee mentioned a 'behind-the-scenes theory' regarding her joining on KBS radio.

On the previous day, Lee appeared on KBS's 'The Live' and said, "Chairman Jeong recommended her, so I appointed (Kim). But then you have to see who recommended Kim to the nomination committee at that time," adding, "Ask Chairman Jeong later. If neither of them, then someone else must have recommended her," implying that a third party was behind her recommendation.

He continued, "If it's neither the party leader nor the nomination committee chairman, then there must be someone else. Someone with that level of influence." When former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won, who appeared on the radio with him, said, "Isn't it the First Lady?" Lee replied, "Do I need to confirm that?" and refrained from elaborating.

However, Jeong said, "Someone more influential than the party leader or nomination committee chairman? I don't know who former leader Lee has in mind," adding, "When I selected the nomination committee members for the June 1 local elections, I did not receive any recommendations from anyone."

He stated that he made the decision independently without any recommendations. He said Kim was selected as a nomination committee member because she had worked as a professional poll journalist. Jeong said, "Among the candidates prepared by the party secretariat, I selected each person. Kim has long worked as a professional poll journalist at JoongAng Ilbo," adding, "She also established and operated her own polling agency."

He explained, "When selecting candidates for local elections, the most used tool is opinion polls. We needed someone who could select polling companies commissioned by the party and review the integrity of the polls they produced, so I selected Kim," adding, "Having worked with her in the media industry for a long time, I knew her reputation and character accurately."

Former Lee Jun-seok, People Power Party leader. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Jeong also clarified that the person who was appointed as a nomination committee member based on a recommendation was not Kim. He said, "During the June 1 local elections, there was exactly one person appointed as a nomination committee member based on a recommendation. Former leader Lee would know well who that person is."

In the PPP nomination committee for the June 1 local elections last year, Han Ki-ho served as vice chairman, and lawmakers Kim Hak-yong, Jeong Jeom-sik, Choi Jae-hyung, Yang Geum-hee, party district chairman Cheon Ha-ram, former Blue House spokesperson Kim Haeng, and Professor Park Myung-ho of Dongguk University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy were appointed as nomination committee members. From the People Party side, Kim Geun-tae, the party's youth supreme council member, and spokesperson Yoon Young-hee were nominated as members.

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