Saenuri's young blood seeking upset in April election

Lee Jun-seok

By Kang Seung-woo

Lee Jun-seok, a 30-year-old political rookie of the ruling Saenuri Party, will face off with political bigwig Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo in his Seoul district during the April 13 general election.

The Harvard graduate launched his bid to participate in the ruling Saenuri Party’s internal race to become its candidate for the Nowon C district in Seoul, where he will vie with Rep. Ahn, a presidential hopeful, should he survive the primary election.

Lee burst onto the political scene in late 2011 after Park, then a presidential candidate, scouted him as the head of her subcommittee for online communications. At that time, Lee was running an Internet-based education firm.

Lee was known to have initially turned down the offer to join the council of the Grand National Party, the predecessor of the Saenuri Party, but accepted after Park called him in person.

After the general and presidential elections in 2012, Lee mostly stayed away from politics, aside from TV appearances as a political commentator, but speculation was rife that he would run in this year’s election.

The Seoul native is regarded as a progressive member of the conservative governing faction, often criticizing the government and even the President.

In addition, his youth plays an important role in boosting the image of the ruling party among those in their 20s and 30s, a group where the ruling party has struggled to win support, according to political analysts. In addition, his public reputation built by his TV appearance, is another strong point.

Amid a ceaseless political standoff and public distrust, Lee said when he announced his candidacy that he hopes the election “will clear the ground for the generational shift” to regain public confidence.

He also said that age does not matter in politics, citing former President Kim Young-sam, who became the youngest lawmaker in Korea at 26.

However, some politicians are casting a critical eye on him.

“For the past four years, what did Lee do to qualify for the public office other than appearing on TV programs?” said an official of the ruling party. “There are politicians who have focused on their election districts during the same period. It is not an ideal way for a political rookie to prepare to run for the general election.”

In addition, he has fallen behind his potential rival Ahn in approval.

According to a public poll by the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, Lee was trailing Ahn by 15.8 percent in a two-way race as of Jan. 4, but the gap was reduced to 7.7 percent in a three-way race that included Roh Hoe-chan of the minor opposition Justice Party, a former lawmaker in the district.