Is 'Lee Jae-myung Running in a Difficult District' Requested by Lee Won-wook Possible?..."Can't Focus on the Election"

Scream Faction Lawmakers Mention Lee Jae-myung's Risky District Candidacy
Next Year's General Election, Nationwide Election Command Issues as Variables

Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker who served three terms in Haeundae, Busan, has officially declared his candidacy in a challenging district in Seoul, prompting discussions of 'running in tough districts' within the Democratic Party as well.

Lee Won-wook, a non-Myeong (非明) faction Democratic Party lawmaker, has called for Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung to run in a tough district, and even within the pro-Myeong (親明) faction, there are views that "running in a tough district is possible." However, political circles analyze that Lee, who must lead next year's general election, is unlikely to go to a tough district.

Pro-Myeong lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae said on the 13th on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show', "I believe there is a possibility (of Lee's candidacy in a tough district). At this moment, every moment for Leader Lee is practically a tough district or a difficult path he has chosen, so I think the possibility is quite high now."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jang mentioned the possibility of Lee running in a tough district following Lee Won-wook's call for Lee's candidacy in such a district. On the 11th, Lee said on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal', "He served twice as mayor of Seongnam, then as governor of Gyeonggi Province, then as a member of the National Assembly, and now as party leader. No one in the party holds such entrenched power," adding, "If there is a choice to not run or to run in another district, the first priority is Leader Lee."

Non-Myeong faction lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon also hinted at the necessity of running in a tough district on CBS Radio, saying, "Telling him to go here or there is a bit premature," but added, "If he insists on running in his stronghold, the ruling party will criticize it as a shielded candidacy," implying the need for a tough district run.

Within the leadership, there is also an open stance to consider Lee's candidacy in a tough district. On the same day, Democratic Party Supreme Council member Seo Eun-sook said on Channel A Radio Show 'Political Signal', "The most important thing from Leader Lee's perspective regarding his position is winning next year's general election," adding, "To achieve that, I think he is someone who can make any decision with all options open."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This can be interpreted as not excluding the demands from the non-Myeong faction. Supreme Council member Seo said, "When the non-Myeong faction says 'Leader Lee should do this or that,' our leadership will listen carefully, and when Leader Lee has to decide what position to take for the party's victory in the general election, we will also listen well to such opinions."

However, considering the legal risks surrounding Lee and his role in leading the general election, political circles analyze that running in a tough district is not easy. Former People Power Party Supreme Council member Kim Yong-tae pointed out on CBS Radio, "If he goes to a tough district, he won't be able to focus on the election, so realistically it seems difficult."

He added, "Rather, I think he might use that as an excuse not to run even as a proportional representative," and said, "He might claim the justification of leading the nationwide election. I think that possibility exists as well."

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