By Jun Ji-hye
A former Unified Progressive Party (UPP) leader Lee Jung-hee officially announced her presidential bid Tuesday in front of the American Embassy in Sejongro, Seoul.
As for the reason for declaring a bid, she said “We need a government that can protect the Korean public from American pressure.”
“Progressive politics will save us. You cannot say you have a spirit of progress if you don’t want to confront the division of the country. We have to aspire toward unification,” she said.
“I will conduct politics that helps laborers, farmers and ordinary people protect their life by themselves. I will walk the way of progressive politics,”
Analysts said Lee’s bid is likely to be a variable if she earns support of at least 3 percent, given that the gap between the ruling Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye and the independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is within that margin.
Prior to Lee’s official announcement, Rep. Roh Hoe-chan, who recently left UPP to create a new political party, expressed his skeptical view on her bid.
“As a person who worked with her earlier, I think it is regrettable that she decided to run in the presidential election. Although the UPP needs time for self-reflection and be more cautious, they bred a presidential candidate. I feel sorry that she took the wrong way,” he said Monday during an appearance on CBS radio.
Roh’s comments came after an election fraud scandal that she was involved in. Ahead of the April general elections, the UPP and the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) carried out telephone surveys to select single joint candidates and Lee eventually won the Gwanak race, beating her rival from the DUP.
However, her aides' involvement in rigging the results was revealed, resulting in her abandon her leadership in May. She has maintained the stance that she didn’t know about her aides’ acts.
Meanwhile, Min Byung-ryul, the former UPP acting leader, also declared a presidential bid as well.
“I knew this was going to be a difficult life but I could not give up my dream of progressive politics. Something has to change in the political arena and then labors and ordinary people will be happy,” he said during a press conference at the National Assembly, Tuesday.
The UPP will conduct a members’ poll to select a sole candidate between Oct. 15 and 19.