Lee Yong, the People Power Party candidate for Hanam-A, took direct aim at his rival Lee Kwang-jae of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "He served as a regional committee chair in Bundang and then abandoned it to come to Hanam." He added, "This means he could abandon Hanam too, depending on what serves his pursuit of bigger politics."
Making his second bid two years after the 2024 general election, Lee took aim at Lee Kwang-jae's "sincerity" in an interview with The Seoul Economic Daily on the 27th. "Former lawmaker Choo Mi-ae, the previous incumbent, left to run as a Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate without resolving or advancing a single local issue over the past two years. Candidate Lee Kwang-jae is Season 2 of Rep. Choo," he said sharply. "When he ran for Gangwon governor he said he would bury his bones there, then said he would take responsibility for the future in Bundang-A, and now coming to Hanam saying he will work here is deceiving the local residents." He went on to say, "I am someone who came out in this election for Hanam, while Candidate Lee Kwang-jae is someone who came to Hanam for the election."
Lee, who narrowly lost to Rep. Choo by 1,199 votes two years ago, emphasized that he has been building his foundation in the district ever since. "I have lived in Hanam for 12 years, and my children are growing up here," he said. "Unlike some others, I haven't been shopping for an electoral district. I have endured for two years looking only at the local residents."
Having listened to residents' voices, Lee presented solving the transportation problems voiced by office workers as his core task. "In new towns such as Gamil-dong, where 75,000 residents live, not a single subway line runs," he said. "Most commute to Seoul, but they have no choice but to take buses with long intervals to Macheon Station." To address this, he pledged to push for "express service on Subway Line 5." "Pushing forward express service on Line 5 during the remaining term is the top priority," he said confidently. "I will cut Hanam workers' commuting time by 20 minutes."
Lee previously served as chief of staff to former President Yoon Suk-yeol during his presidential campaign, earning him the label "Yoon Suk-yeol's bodyguard." Responding to such criticism, Lee said, "As a member of the party, I simply fulfilled my duties to help create the administration." He added, "I devoted myself to my assigned mission without being swayed by personal feelings or favoritism in personnel decisions." He continued, "As I clearly stated when announcing my candidacy at the National Assembly, I will not hide and I will not run away. If you give me the rod, I will gladly take it."
