Candidate Hoon-shik Kang, Yong-jin Park, Jae-myung Lee (in alphabetical order), who passed the preliminary contest of the Democratic Party of Korea on the 8/28 National Convention, competed fiercely for votes starting on the 29th, the first day of the race. During a live broadcast with supporters on the same day, Candidate Lee, who had been continuing his ‘Loki’ movement, caused controversy by remarking that “there is a lot of support for the power of the people from low-education and low-income groups.” Candidate Kang and Candidate Park both acknowledged the need for unification to confront the frame of ‘Eo Dae-myung’ (the party’s leader is Lee Jae-myung anyway), but both showed a strong difference of opinion in ‘Same Bed and Dream’, claiming a method that was advantageous to them.
○ Controversy over Lee’s ‘divergence of the people’
Candidate Lee, who had minimized the public schedule during the preliminary election period and focused on capturing the votes of the central committee, switched modes and started a broad walk. On the 6th of next month, before the first delegate meeting in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, he went to scan the bottom of the site. Candidate Lee plans to meet party members and supporters in person, starting with Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do on this day, and visiting Gangneung, Daegu, and Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang over the weekend.
Candidate Lee said during a live YouTube broadcast with supporters for an hour and a half in the car going to Chuncheon, “I’ll be able to bear it if I just hold on to it, but these days, it’s really hard to do it with my family as a hostage.” He expressed his dissatisfaction with the legal risk controversy surrounding him and the police investigation. Candidate Lee has been refusing to answer questions from reporters in this regard.
He continued, “I am a person who has been taken from all the established authorities in our society. The media, power, and politicians all hate (me).” To the supporter’s comment, ‘Don’t lose twice,’ he replied, “I really don’t want to lose once more.”
During the live broadcast that day, Candidate Lee said, “There is a lot of support for the power of the people from the low-educated and low-income class. Highly educated, high-income, so-called rich people have more supporters of us (Democratic Party). Candidate Park immediately posted on Facebook, saying, “Are you saying that people from low-educated, poor people are easily influenced by the media?” Candidate Kang also wrote on Facebook, “It seems that we have not yet properly reflected on our defeat in the presidential election.”
Park Hyung-soo, floor spokesperson for the People’s Power, also commented, saying, “It is a reckless and dangerous attempt to divide the people by education and income is a ignorant and dangerous attempt without any qualifications as an elected official. This is not only an insult to the class, but also an insult to the media.”
○ The creaking discussion of unification
Candidates Kang and Park made different arguments regarding the timing and method, while leaving the possibility of unification open. Candidate Park said on MBC radio, “It’s not regarding opening up the possibility of (unification), but an active position.” It is interpreted to mean that he will lead the discussion in the process of unification, while pursuing a method that is favorable to him, who has high recognition and support in opinion polls.
On the other hand, Candidate Kang kept a distance from KBS radio saying, “It is not surprising or unusual to do a poll or follow a certain rule.” He continued, “(Candidate Park) has a fixed anti-Lee Jae-myung composition, and in that way, he cannot overcome this candidate. I want to give it to you.”
Reporter Eunji Kim eunji@donga.com
