Lee and 4 pro-Lee figures meet to discuss joining new party

According to the opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday, former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok met with the chairman of the party's cooperation committee in Suncheon Cheon Ha-ram, Rep. Heo Eun-a, former member of the Supreme Council Kim Yong-tae, and lawmaker of Gyeonggi Province Lee Kee-in in Heo’s office in Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul. The four people are pro-Lee Jun-seok figures whom Lee supported during the party convention in March this year. Heo posted a picture of herself as a candidate at the time of the party convention on Facebook on Saturday with a caption that said, “Still the same determination, and still the same mind.” Former member of the Supreme Council Kim also wrote on his Facebook account that he understood the strategy for forming a new political party. The former leader of the conservative party is reportedly contacting the current members of the party to launch a new party.

At the same time, he is trying to expand beyond the People Power Party. Former Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop will deliver congratulatory remarks at a talk concert held by Lee and former lawmaker Lee Un-ju in Gwangju on Sunday.

The members of the People Power Party are saying that Lee will have a hard time gaining enough support with regard to the former leader’s efforts to create momentum by contacting non-major figures of the party. At the same time, they are expressing concerns that attention is divided from Ihn Yo-han’s innovation committee due to Lee.

“There won’t be no movement led by Lee Jun-seok and Yoo Seong-min,” said Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo on Facebook on Saturday. “The wishes that ignore the reality alone cannot change the current structure.” Lee wrote on his Facebook account on the same day that he would challenge himself to the task as it is a difficult one.


Hye-Ryung Choi herstory@donga.com