Joon-Seok Lee Publicly Endorses Eu Idong of People Power Party in Pyeongtaek-e: "We Need Colleagues to Block Semiconductor Belt Relocation"

Unprecedented Cross-Party Support in Pyeongtaek Where the Reformed New Party Has No Candidate
“Dongtan and Pyeongtaek, Bound Together by a Shared Semiconductor Destiny”

On May 28, Lee Jun-seok, Chief Election Strategy Committee Chairman of the Reform New Party, publicly expressed his support for Yoo Eui-dong, the People Power Party candidate running in the June 3 by-election for Pyeongtaek-eul. In a situation where the Reform New Party has not fielded a candidate in Pyeongtaek-eul, Lee directly named and backed a rival party candidate. Lee argued that a coalition beyond party lines is necessary to block the ruling party’s proposal to relocate the semiconductor belt in southern Gyeonggi Province.

On his Facebook page that day, Lee stated, “In this election, I have refrained from mentioning candidates from other parties, setting aside personal relationships,” and added, “However, for the sake of Dongtan’s future, I would like to say something about Pyeongtaek, a city that shares the same boat as Dongtan.”

Referring to Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek Campuses, as well as SK hynix’s Icheon and Cheongju Campuses, Lee said, “The semiconductor belt in southern Gyeonggi is the very heart and future of Korean industry,” and emphasized, “Ensuring that these massive production bases continue to operate stably in their current locations is the way to protect and enhance the value of Dongtan.”

Lee Jun-seok, Chief Election Strategy Committee Chairman of the Reform New Party, is campaigning near Sadang Station in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Targeting arguments from some Democratic Party figures about relocating the semiconductor belt to the Honam region, Lee pointed out, “Forcibly scattering a globally competitive semiconductor production ecosystem for political reasons would bring greater harm to the entire nation.” He further stated, “The reality is that there are simply too few fellow lawmakers in southern Gyeonggi to stop such attempts by the Democratic Party in the National Assembly.”

He continued, “Not as the head of the Reform New Party, but as a member of the National Assembly who must block the forced relocation of the semiconductor industry in southern Gyeonggi and protect the rights and interests of engineers and researchers in STEM fields, I apologize for the imposition, but I have one request: Please help Yoo Eui-dong, a candidate who has shared these concerns with me for more than ten years, to once again have the opportunity to work in the National Assembly so that Godeok International New City and Dongtan can join hands and advance together.”

Regarding candidate Yoo, Lee said, “Yoo Eui-dong is someone whom I earnestly persuaded to serve as Policy Committee Chair, and we have built trust over a long period of time,” and praised him, “He bears no responsibility for the emergency decrees or the mismanagement of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and he has always spoken truthfully even within the party.”

Lee also stressed that voters in Dongtan and Pyeongtaek need to join forces. He said, “If Dongtan residents help persuade their coworkers in Pyeongtaek, we will gain another lawmaker to help solve Dongtan’s issues together,” and added, “I promise to work even harder for the engineers at the Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek Campuses, and for the future of STEM in Korea, and I will make sure to repay your trust—always and forever.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.