[Local Election Interview] Lee Yong: "I Will Stop 'Choo Mi-ae Season 2'... Hanam Is Not a Stepping Stone for National Politics"

Interview with Lee Yong, People Power Party Candidate for Hanam Gap By-Election

"Two Years Strengthening Grassroots Support... Prioritizing Local Politics"

"I Will Be a Politician Who Saves Residents 30 Minutes on Their Commute"

Stayed in the Region After Defeat... Held Over 3,000 Resident Meetings

Lee Yong, the People Power Party candidate running in the by-election for the National Assembly in Hanam Gap, Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Hanam should not become a stepping stone for central politics." Addressing his opponent, Lee Kwangjae of the Democratic Party of Korea, he described him as "Choo Mi-ae Season 2" and argued, "With a political approach focused solely on central politics, regional development cannot be achieved."

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on May 20, Lee emphasized that his reason for running is "to prevent 'Choo Mi-ae Season 2'." He said, "What pained me most in the last general election was not my own defeat, but the victory of former Assemblywoman Choo Mi-ae. She focused exclusively on central politics and ignored local issues."

Lee Yong, the candidate for the National Assembly by-election in Hanam Gap, Gyeonggi Province representing the People Power Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Provided by Lee Yong’s campaign.

In the 2024 general election, Lee lost to former Assemblywoman Choo by a margin of about 1.2 percentage points. He stressed that, although opinion polls at the time showed a double-digit gap, the actual vote count resulted in a close race. He especially noted that even after his defeat, he remained in the region and worked to strengthen grassroots support, particularly in the new towns.

He said, "Over the past two years, I have consistently met with apartment residents’ representatives and held more than 3,000 local meetings. What matters is not grand rhetoric, but pledges that are immediately feasible for the region." He added, "In this election as well, I will run a campaign that goes even deeper among the residents."

He also expressed his commitment to resolving Hanam's key issue: transportation. Lee pledged to introduce express trains on Subway Line 5 to reduce residents' commute times, stating, "I will be a politician who takes responsibility for saving citizens 30 minutes on their daily commute."

He said, "A significant number of residents in Wirye and Gam-il commute to Seoul, but subway accessibility is still very poor. If elected to the National Assembly, I want to serve on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and personally address the issues of subway extension and the expansion of transportation networks."

Lee also took a sharp stance toward his opponent, Lee Kwangjae. He claimed, "He has four criminal convictions and is not a local figure. He was a district party chair in Bundang and then came to Hanam. This means he can move at any time according to what is politically advantageous."

He also criticized the recent mobilization of many Democratic Party lawmakers from the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee to support his opponent. Lee said, "You have to do your own homework. If you are a local politician, you need the ability to solve things yourself."

Regarding questions about his responsibility in relation to the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Lee said he would not avoid accountability. He is considered a prominent pro-Yoon figure, having served as chief aide to the president-elect during the launch of the Yoon administration.

He said, "At the time, as a People Power Party lawmaker, I believed it was natural to support the party's presidential candidate. Still, as someone who contributed to the birth of the government, I feel a sense of responsibility regarding governance, and if the people hold me accountable, I will accept it humbly." He continued, "I want to make it clear that even after the Yoon administration began, I stayed in the region and consistently worked on Hanam's issues."

The following is a Q&A with the candidate.

-What is your reason for running in the Hanam Gap by-election?

▲ It is to prevent 'Choo Mi-ae Season 2.' What pained me most in the last general election was not my own defeat, but former Assemblywoman Choo's victory. I anticipated that she would focus solely on central politics and neglect local issues. As the People Power Party’s local chair in Hanam Gap, I have built a foundation in the community, and with the encouragement of local citizens, I decided to run again.

-Your opponent, Democratic Party candidate Lee Kwangjae, who is running after former Assemblywoman Choo, is seen as a formidable challenger.

▲ I am not concerned. He has four criminal convictions and is not a local figure. In fact, I was quite displeased with the Democratic Party’s candidate selection policy. If I were to lose to someone who has long cultivated and volunteered in Hanam, I would not feel resentful. But Lee Kwangjae was a district chair in Bundang and abandoned the residents there to return to Hanam. This suggests he can move whenever it is politically advantageous. Also, Lee is a three-term National Assembly member and a former governor of Gangwon Province. Ultimately, I believe he is more likely to focus on central politics than on the local community.

-Your opponent has emphasized the ruling party's influence and even brought in National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee members for support.

▲ You have to do your own homework. Ultimately, as a local politician, you need to have the ability to solve things yourself. If you need the help of other politicians or groups, it means you lack confidence. Those lawmakers have their own districts to worry about. They are probably overwhelmed just dealing with their own local issues. That is why I call this 'Choo Mi-ae Season 2.' They sound impressive, but lack execution. Even looking at the recent visits by committee chairs, it is clear. The composition of the standing committees will change in the second half of the year anyway. Saying you will solve things together with them is meaningless.

-How has your life experience before entering the National Assembly helped you as a lawmaker?

▲ Bobsleigh and skeleton were sports no one paid attention to—they were like barren fields. Just as one cultivates the land and sows seeds, I nurtured athletes, going through countless trials and hardships, but ultimately achieved the gold medal. I believe local politics is similar. Even after my defeat, I stayed in the community and rebuilt support from the grassroots. Over the past two years, I have consistently met with apartment residents’ representatives and held over 3,000 local meetings. I believe the time has come for these steady efforts to blossom.

-What do local residents say to you most often?

▲ Over the past two years since my defeat, I have traveled throughout the region and met many residents. The most common thing I heard was "I'm sorry." Unlike the opinion polls during the last general election, the actual vote count narrowed to a difference of just 1 percentage point, and since then, I have continued to build grassroots support, focusing on the new towns. What matters is not grand rhetoric, but pledges that are immediately feasible for the region. In this election, too, I intend to run a campaign that goes even deeper among the residents.

-Why do you hope to join the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee?

▲ The most important issue for Hanam citizens is transportation. A significant number of residents in Wirye and Gam-il commute to Seoul, but subway accessibility is still very poor. Residents feel they waste more than 30 minutes on their commutes every day, and I believe it is the role of politics to reduce that time. That is why I want to serve on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and personally address subway extension and transportation network expansion. I want to be a politician who takes responsibility for saving citizens 30 minutes on their daily commute.

-Since you participated in the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, some have raised questions of responsibility.

▲ My position is not to hide. At the time, as a People Power Party lawmaker, I believed it was only natural to support the party's presidential candidate. Still, as someone who contributed to the birth of the government, I feel responsible for governance, and if the people hold me accountable, I will accept it humbly. I also want to make it clear that, even after that, I have turned down offers from the Blue House and public enterprises and remained in the region, focusing solely on Hanam.

-Why should voters choose Lee Yong?

▲ Hanam is where my family lives and my children are growing up. I believe a local politician must have a genuine affection and attachment to the region. Rather than using the region as a stepping stone for central politics, we need politicians who truly put down roots in the community and live alongside residents. I am not "someone who came to Hanam for the election," but "someone running in the election for Hanam."

Lee Yong, the People Power Party candidate for the by-election in Hanam Gap, Gyeonggi Province, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Provided by Lee Yong's campaign.

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