Lee Myung-bak urges PPP floor leader to fight for public trust, not just against ruling party

Former President Lee Myung-bak told People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik on Monday that the opposition's role in the National Assembly now outweighs its role as a party organization, urging him to cooperate with the ruling bloc where warranted but to stand firm in opposition when necessary — and to do so with the public in mind.

Lee made the remarks at his office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, as he received Jeong for a courtesy call Monday afternoon, saying Jeong was taking on the floor leader role "at a truly difficult time."

"It is very important to earn recognition from the public — for people to look at what the opposition is saying and think, 'Yes, they are right, that is what is good for the country,'" Lee said. "We simply cannot win on numbers alone, so gaining the trust of the people is what matters. Even when we fight, we must fight with our eyes on the people."

He added that the media would follow only if the party spoke forcefully and correctly. "This must not be a fight for the sake of fighting," Lee said. "We must sharply point out where the ruling party is wrong and appeal directly to the public."

"This is not just a battle between the two parties — you must fight with the people behind you," Lee said. "You cannot say, 'We are few and weak, so there is no point.' You must have the people on your side."

Lee also acknowledged that the party appeared divided from the outside, but said internal discord was natural in hard times. "Even so, what you must do is cooperate wisely," he said.

Jeong responded to Lee's call to keep the public in focus by saying, "That is what we will do."

"The recent local elections were an extremely difficult contest for us, and I came to express my gratitude for your willingness to support our candidates during that hard time," Jeong said. He added that the party was struggling internally and that what he described as the excesses of the Lee Jae Myung administration were worse than those of any previous government.

"I also came to seek your counsel on how the party should move forward in these difficult times," Jeong said. "We will keep our eyes on the people and press ahead."

Jeong was accompanied on the visit by Rep. Lee Sang-hwi, who served as head of the Chunchugwan press briefing center and as a public relations secretary during the Lee Myung-bak administration, and Rep. Park Su-min, who served as an administrative official in the presidential policy affairs office.

Lee shook hands with Rep. Lee and patted Rep. Park on the shoulder, remarking warmly, "Did you bring only the people who worked in my office?" Before a commemorative photo, he quipped, "Let's smile — though honestly, when I smile for photos, my eyes disappear."

Jeong presented Lee with an orchid inscribed with a classical Chinese phrase expressing deep admiration for a person of great virtue, likening such a person to a towering mountain. After the meeting, Jeong told reporters that the central theme of their private conversation had been party unity. "He said the most important thing is to achieve unity and win the 2028 general election," Jeong said.