Lee Jae-myung, Despite High Government Approval Pressure, Adopts 'Two-Track' Strategy with Distance from Moon and Yoon's Special Prosecutor Pressure

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Jeon Jin-young] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, is pursuing a 'two-track' strategy on the 7th to capture the centrist vote by criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration's failures and tightening the noose on Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, over family corruption and special investigations.

Since the beginning of this month, Lee has distanced himself actively from the Moon administration's failures, apologizing three times over the Cho Kuk incident alone. After officially apologizing on the 2nd, he bowed his head and said "sorry for the disappointment" twice more on the 4th and 6th, with two-day intervals.

Despite the burden of the current administration's approval rating reaching 40% even in its final term, Lee is drawing a clear line because he believes that securing the centrist vote will determine victory or defeat in next year's presidential election, which is expected to be a razor-thin race within 1%.

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended an invited lecture at the Financial Economy Seminar held on the 7th at Seoul National University in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Before giving a lecture on the theme of "Youth Salon Lee Jae-myung's Economic Story," focusing on the economic policy direction and philosophy, he greeted the students. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

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Cho Eung-cheon, co-head of the Democratic Party's campaign joint situation room, said on KBS Radio that "the president's approval rating is unusually high, so honestly, it is a huge burden."

However, he emphasized that victory in next year's presidential election can only be achieved by escaping the 'trap of vested interests' such as the Cho Kuk incident, which was the starting point of hypocrisy, and real estate policies.

He stated, "The structure itself still favors regime change over regime continuation," adding, "Gradually, Lee Jae-myung's colors will emerge regarding the parts that the public is struggling with."

Lee's distinctive color is expected to appear in the criticism of hypocritical politics by accepting the criticism of hypocrisy and double standards, starting with his apology for the Cho Kuk incident, and later in real estate and COVID-19 measures as well as the livelihood economy.

On the afternoon of the same day, Lee held a meeting on the blind spots in housing subscription and planned to meet with young Seoul residents in their 20s to 40s living in jeonse and monthly rent to listen to their difficulties. He is expected to pledge to thoroughly examine why they failed in housing subscriptions under the current government’s 'subscription blind spots' and ensure such failures do not recur under the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Jin Seong-jun, co-head of the campaign joint situation room, said on YTN Radio, "We are reviewing large-scale housing supply plans and are also considering housing that is completely different in quality from existing rental housing."

In this way, Lee is seeking to find the 'Lee Jae-myung administration's' color by supplementing the current government's mistakes through policy, while simultaneously pressuring his competitor Yoon by repeatedly targeting special investigations and family corruption.

He emphasized that the Daejang-dong special investigation should start with the 'Busan Savings Bank sloppy investigation' case. On the previous day, Lee shared a post criticizing the partial dismissal of charges regarding Yoon's spouse Kim Geon-hee's 'Kobana Contents sponsorship suspicion,' indirectly attacking Yoon. Yoon Geon-young, head of the campaign's political affairs office, also strongly criticized on MBC Radio, saying it "undermines fairness and equity."

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