"Seocho-eul or Bundang-eul... Minister Lee Young's SNS Post Controversy"

Announcing Candidacy Mentioning Conservative Stronghold Areas
"Is This Just Constituency Shopping?" Criticism Arises

Lee Young, Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), posted on his social networking service (SNS) that "I don't know whether I will run for Seocho-eul, Bundang-eul, or some other '-eul' district, but I plan to start in earnest after my resignation." Before stepping down, the minister mentioned specific constituencies, revealing his intention to run in next year's general election, which has sparked criticism over whether this is an appropriate stance for a public official who is required to maintain political neutrality.

Recently, rumors circulated in political circles that Minister Lee was considering running for the Bundang-eul district in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in next year's general election. In response, on the 9th, Minister Lee wrote on Facebook, "I am still with the MSS, but my name has been traveling nationwide and today it even reached 'Bundang-eul.' It's almost like an out-of-body experience," adding, "I will definitely jump into the general election after I step down."

On the 10th, Minister Lee specifically mentioned 'Seocho-eul' and 'Bundang-eul,' suggesting that he might run in those constituencies. He also addressed Kim Byung-wook, the incumbent member of the Democratic Party representing Bundang-eul, saying, "I am not yet ready to go to Bundang-eul, so you can relax."

Lee Young, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is attending the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting and Price-Related Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and reporting on the agenda. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Both Seocho-eul and Bundang-eul are considered areas where conservative parties have a strong presence. Online communities criticized Minister Lee's remarks, with some saying, "Isn't this just constituency shopping?"

In particular, there has been criticism in political circles recently that former presidential office and ministerial officials are only trying to secure safe districts, and Minister Lee's comments have intensified this criticism. Bundang-eul has recently seen public declarations of candidacy intentions from Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and it is also reported that Kim Eun-hye, former presidential office spokesperson, hopes to run there.

In this context, Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, criticized on SNS on the 8th, "When the president is in difficulty, those who have received favors should voluntarily go to tough districts. Seeing everyone only looking for safe districts to save themselves does not help the general election at all."

Following the controversy, Minister Lee deleted the problematic post.

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