Lee Jun-seok: "I Hate to Assume the Breakup of the Unity... I Hope We Can Stay Together Somehow"

Faction Conflict Causes Internal Strife Ten Days After Merger
Lee Nak-yeon Scheduled to Announce Position at 11 AM

Lee Jun-seok, co-representative of the Reform New Party, is speaking at the Kwanhun Club invitation debate held on the 19th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

About 10 days after the declaration of the merger, Lee Jun-seok, co-leader of the Reform New Party, which is suffering from internal strife between the factions of Lee Jun-seok and Lee Nak-yeon, said on the 20th regarding the possibility of breaking the merger with 'New Future,' “I cannot even mention (operating under a sole leadership system), nor do I want to assume it,” adding, “Yesterday's press conference was insulting to me, but I think there might have been some emotional aspects, and I hope we can somehow work together.”

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Lee said, “I find it hard to understand that proposing to announce policies quickly is the trigger for division,” and “We have experience winning (in the past presidential election) by presenting good policies with a sense of urgency, so it is regrettable if people think Lee Jun-seok is incapable of handling policy.” When asked if they would part ways today, he said, “I have not received a definitive notice.”

Regarding Assemblyman Kim Jong-min, who compared himself to Jeon Du-hwan, Lee added, “Assemblyman Kim Jong-min made many insulting remarks about me over two days. The reason I did not respond and kept it all inside was ultimately because, as the party leader leading this party, I wanted to bring about the merger.” About the 'Kim Jong-in as Public Official Election Committee Chair' theory, he said, “Representative Lee Nak-yeon mentioned that I should contact Kim Jong-in to invite him as the chair,” and “To be honest, I have publicly proposed someone other than Kim Jong-in as the chair during meetings.”

In response to the host's remark that internal discord could negatively affect vote-getting power in the general election, he said, “I am very concerned. I do not think Representative Lee Nak-yeon and New Future should head toward a catastrophe, but if a specific faction defects, I believe there will be public concern about the big tent.”

Lee Nak-yeon, Chair of the New Future Talent Recruitment Committee, is speaking at the Party Establishment Preparation Committee meeting held on the 26th at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the other hand, Park Won-seok, head of New Future and a member of the Lee Nak-yeon faction, clearly expressed concerns about the 'Lee Jun-seok personal party' regarding the internal conflict of the Reform New Party. “To share our understanding of the situation, this is a planned breach of agreement (by Representative Lee Jun-seok),” he said firmly, “I think it has been proceeding under the plan to 'make this party Lee Jun-seok's party' since last Thursday, right after the merger.”

He continued, “We conceded everything from deciding the party name to appointing initial party positions,” and “The last remaining leadership positions are the co-leader and the general election campaign committee chair, but if even this leadership is not recognized, and if the election is to be run by me while the nomination is handled by Kim Jong-in as the emergency committee chair, then why should we merge?”

Meanwhile, Lee Nak-yeon, co-leader of the Reform New Party, is scheduled to hold a press conference around 11 a.m. Given the intense conflict with co-leader Lee Jun-seok, attention is focused on whether he will announce whether to continue the unified front.

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