Lee Jun-seok: "Jeon Jae-soo's 'Bed Football' to Avoid Debates... Don't Turn Your Back on Junior Candidates"

Innovation Party Launches Election Committee for June 3 Local Elections

Lee Jun-seok, Chairman of the General Election Countermeasures Committee of the Reform Innovation Party, launched an offensive against candidate Jeon Jae-soo, claiming that Jeon is employing what he called a "bed football-style election strategy." Lee argued that Jeon is repeating the same exclusion from debates that he himself experienced in the past, this time targeting a younger politician, while simultaneously raising the need for scrutiny regarding allegations of Unification Church bribery.

On the 11th, during a meeting of the Reform Innovation Party Central Election Countermeasures Committee at the National Assembly, Lee criticized, "Jeon Jae-soo, who once had to sit alone in an empty debate hall due to his opponent's disregard, is now leaving Jeong I-han, a Reform Innovation Party candidate of a similar age, standing outside the debate hall."

Lee described Jeon's campaign strategy as, "The investigative agencies cover up suspicions, the broadcasters block debates, and the candidate buys time lying in bed," and labeled it a "bed football-style election strategy." He added, "A campaign pledge is only completed through verification, not just by announcing it," urging Jeong's participation in the debates.

Jeong I-han has begun a hunger strike, demanding participation in the debates, after local broadcasters in Busan excluded him from TV debate invitations, citing opinion poll support rates and other reasons.

Lee also commented on the exclusion of Jeong from the debates by Busan broadcasters, saying, "It's like broadcasting a game with three players but only covering two of them."

He continued, "Jeon Jae-soo, who was once a disregarded challenger, is now forcing the same disregard onto a junior challenger. I urge Jeon to return to the mindset of a challenger, not that of an incumbent with vested interests."

Lee also took issue with the prosecution's decision not to indict Jeon regarding suspicions of Unification Church bribery. He asserted, "While his aides were sent to trial on charges of destroying evidence, the candidate himself managed to escape prosecution."

Meanwhile, the Reform Innovation Party launched its Central Election Countermeasures Committee on this day to oversee strategies for the June 3 local elections and the National Assembly by-elections.

Lee Jun-seok has taken the role of Chairman of the General Election Countermeasures Committee. The co-chairs include Cho Eung-cheon, candidate for Gyeonggi Province Governor; Kim Jeong-cheol, candidate for Seoul Mayor; Kim Seong-yeol, candidate in the Gyeonggi Hanam-gap National Assembly by-election; Joo Isaac, candidate for Seoul Metropolitan Council; Chun Haram, floor leader; and Lee Joo-young, policy committee chair, among others.

At the meeting, candidate Cho Eung-cheon stated, "Those who have joined the Reform Innovation Party are fully aware that this is not an easy or comfortable path, but a difficult and challenging one," and added, "We will break the two-party monopoly structure starting from Gyeonggi Province."