By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
Independent candidate Lee Hoi-chang suggested Monday that he will continue politics even if he loses the Dec. 19 presidential election.
``I don't think of winning only the upcoming presidential election,'' Lee said in an interview with an MBC radio program.
Lee, who finished the previous presidential elections as runner-up both in 1997 and 2002, said he would make alliances with other political forces to lead the nation after the election.
Asked if he will work on the election of the National Assembly slated for April 2008, the former prime minister said `yes' in an indirect way.
``Of course, the presidential election is important, but if the nation's leading forces who share the same value form an alliance, they will pave the way for not only a President to be elected in the coming election but also for the government and other important positions,'' Lee said.
Lee, who has enjoyed No. 2 popularity among the presidential candidates, meant he will continue political activities including the April general elections regardless of the result in the presidential election.
The remarks clearly showed the former Supreme Court justice has changed his initial plan that he would give up the race if voters turned on him. Lee will finish the race and go beyond the presidential election under all circumstances.
When declaring his bid for the presidency about a month ago, Lee suggested that he will quit politics again, depending on support. In fact, he had declared he would not go into politics again right after he was defeated in the 2002 presidential election by then candidate Roh Moo-hyun.
However, Lee refused to elaborate on concrete political plans after the presidential election such as whether he would create a political party.
``I'll see if it is necessary (to create the party),'' Lee said. ``I can't say anything in detail right now.''
Meanwhile, the former chairman of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) hoped that Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the GNP, will finally join forces with him because they share the same political line.
``I am sure that people of the same philosophy and faith for the nation will work together in the end just as rivers running in a different way finally meet together in the sea,'' Lee said.
Though some political observers had also expected Park's cooperation with Lee in the race, Park, who lost the party's ticket for the presidency to Lee Myung-bak, currently supports the GNP's official standard-bearer, in accordance with election laws.