0
Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate of the New Reform Party, holds an emergency press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 29 to address the controversy surrounding his remarks about the female body during a recent televised debate. / Source: Yonhap News

New Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok on May 29 held a press conference at the National Assembly, directly addressing the controversy surrounding his remarks during the third televised debate on May 27. Lee defended himself, saying his comment was a reference to misogynistic language allegedly used by Lee Jae-myung’s son, Lee Dong-ho, and criticized the Democratic Party for turning the issue against him.

“We must not let this nation fall into confusion because of Lee Jae-myung’s wife, Kim Hye-kyung, and his son, Lee Dong-ho,” said Lee Jun-seok. “Ask yourself who really deserves the blame. What you’re seeing is the future we face if Lee Jae-myung wields unchecked power.”

During the debate, Lee asked Kwon Young-guk of the Democratic Labor Party whether a hypothetical statement like “I want to stick chopsticks into a woman’s [body part]” constitutes misogyny—an indirect reference to past online posts reportedly made by Lee Jae-myung’s son. The remark quickly sparked backlash, with critics calling it inappropriate and offensive.

On May 29, Lee Jun-seok insisted he was merely quoting Lee Dong-ho’s own words. “That expression wasn’t mine. It was posted by Lee Jae-myung’s son on an online forum. The legal and journalistic records have already confirmed this,” he said. “Lee Dong-ho was fined 5 million won last year for violating the Information and Communications Network Act.”

Lee went on to accuse Lee Jae-myung of trying to brush off the issue by calling it “trivial.” “But scrutiny of a presidential candidate’s family is not a private matter—it’s part of public accountability,” he asserted.

He also claimed that media and politicians were “lynching” him for raising the issue. “Let’s look at this rationally: where in my question was there any hatred? Who truly deserves to be condemned as a sexual offender?” he asked.

Lee further alleged that Lee Dong-ho had transferred over 230 million won through illegal gambling in more than 700 transactions across nearly two years. “If Lee Jae-myung didn’t know this, it’s either indifference or incompetence. Can such a person really lead the country?” he said.

The New Reform Party candidate also warned of legal action against those spreading what he called misinformation about his remarks. “By 2 p.m. today, those who have reversed the facts and spread false information about me must delete their posts and issue public apologies. If not, I will pursue strong civil and criminal action,” he warned.

Regarding the possibility of unifying with People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, Lee flatly rejected the idea again. When a reporter asked about it, he interrupted before the question was finished: “I won’t merge.”

Kim had visited Lee’s office in the National Assembly late at night after returning from a campaign stop in Daegu, but Lee was not present, and the meeting did not take place.