Lee Jun-seok Shouted at in Restaurant... "Reasons Why New Party Success Is Difficult," "Rude Politics"

Lee says quietly to Ahn Cheol-soo beyond the restaurant partition
Lee Won-wook: "Why engage in hate politics when still young?"
Ha Tae-kyung: "To do big politics, you must endure unpleasant words"

Criticism continued in the political sphere regarding the tense exchange between former People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok and PPP lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who were separated by a restaurant partition.

Earlier, on the 6th, it was reported that former leader Lee, while at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, separated by a partition from former lawmaker Ahn, shouted several times at him, saying, "Mr. Ahn Cheol-soo, let's eat together!" and "Mr. Ahn Cheol-soo, please be quiet."

As news of the incident where the two men clashed across the restaurant partition spread, criticism toward former leader Lee came from both ruling and opposition parties. Jang Ye-chan, the PPP's youngest supreme council member, pointed out, "It is disrespectful to Mr. Ahn, who is like a father figure."

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

On the 8th, Council Member Jang said on Channel A, "Raising your voice in a restaurant and saying 'Let's eat together' just because someone in the next room is saying something slightly unfavorable about you is disrespectful to Mr. Ahn, who is like a father figure," adding, "Not all young people, including the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), behave like that. Losing temper and shouting loudly in a public place like a restaurant is not a matter of age or generation but a matter of basic character."

Council Member Jang added, "Will many people who are willing to stake their political lives on shared ideals gather around such a person?" and "The restaurant incident itself starkly reveals why former leader Lee's new party is unlikely to succeed."

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Won-wook also criticized the incident as "hate politics" and "rude politics." On BBS Radio that day, Lee said, "Usually, when someone realizes they have made a mistake, they reflect on themselves and move on. They don't just shout on the spot and then go to the next room and act like that," adding, "That is exactly former leader Lee's hate politics and rude politics."

Lee continued, "It would be good if he changed into a more mature and seasoned politician, but there will be significant limitations if he tries to grow based on hate politics," and said, "Former leader Lee is still young, around 38 or 39 years old. If we look ahead 20 years from now, there will be many other good opportunities, so it is regrettable that he chooses to do politics based on hate politics."

However, lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung criticized former leader Lee by saying, "If you want to engage in big politics, you need to develop the habit of enduring unpleasant remarks," but also evaluated, "That is why the 20s and 30s generation likes former leader Lee." On BBS Radio that day, Ha advised, "From the public's perspective, it is an eyesore, and I also feel very embarrassed. Former leader Lee needs to develop the habit of enduring unpleasant remarks to engage in bigger politics."

At the same time, Ha argued, "Conservatives dislike former leader Lee for being audacious and rude, but from the perspective of people in their 20s and 30s, that is why they like him more," and "The younger generation grows by fighting with the older generation, so they feel he represents them and find it exhilarating."

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