Lee Kwang-jae, confirmed as the Democratic Party of Korea’s candidate for the June 3 parliamentary by-election in Gyeonggi Province’s Hanam Gap district, said he would take criticism over his nomination as a call to work harder for the area.
Responding to remarks by People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo of Bundang Gap, whom Lee faced in the 22nd general election, Lee said at a news conference at the National Assembly on April 30 that he would accept the criticism as meaning he should “love Hanam more.”
Lee compared his candidacy to high-profile recruitment in sports, saying South Korea reached the World Cup semifinals after hiring coach Guus Hiddink and Tottenham became stronger after signing Son Heung-min.
Ahn wrote on Facebook on April 28 that Lee had received strategic nominations three times in a row — “2022 in Gangwon, 2024 in Bundang, and 2026 in Hanam” — and said it would not be an exaggeration to call him a “professional strategic nominee.”
Lee said he came to Hanam “to work” and had already begun tackling local issues. He called transportation and rail links Hanam’s biggest pending issues and said he met with National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee Chairman Maeng Seong-gyu. Lee added that Democratic Party lawmakers on the committee would visit Hanam soon.
“Hanam’s report card will be politician Lee Kwang-jae’s report card,” he said. “I will stake my political fate on Hanam’s success.”
He also said he would pour all his experience into Hanam and “clearly show” that choosing the right politician can change people’s lives.
The article said Lee’s nomination was influenced by what it described as his “party first” spirit. It said Rep. Jung Cheong-rae had previously praised Lee for not running in the local elections to support Woo Sang-ho, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Gangwon governor, and had suggested Lee could be nominated for the by-election. Lee was later confirmed as the Hanam Gap candidate.
Asked whether he would feel regret given his affection for Gangwon, Lee said water born in Gangwon flows to the Han River and reaches Hanam, adding that he would now focus on Hanam.
If elected, Lee would return to the National Assembly about four years after resigning to run for Gangwon governor in April 2022, the article said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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