Lee Jae-myung says supporters cry when asking if he's 'okay'

Lee Jae-myung, a contender for the leadership of South Korea's Democratic Party, has revealed the emotional toll of his campaign, saying that people he meets ask if he is "okay" and often cry while looking at him with "sad eyes."

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These days, everyone I meet asks me, 'Are you okay?' Many people look at me with sad eyes and cry. Mother, what should I do at times like this?

Lee, a former party leader, highlighted these interactions on Thursday, framing them as a reflection of his difficult position amidst fierce competition from rivals. He invoked his mother's memory, recalling a similar situation in 2016 when he was excluded from a parliamentary election. He remembered his mother's silent, sad gaze in a photograph, interpreting it as a plea for him not to harm the party.

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Only the people and party members will I trust and go with.

He drew a parallel between his past and present, noting that he is now advocating for the same principles of "people's sovereignty and party member sovereignty" that he championed a decade ago. Lee is pushing for a "one-person, one-vote" system, which he sees as a symbol of party member autonomy. He declared his intention to rely solely on the public and party members for support in the upcoming convention, which will be the first to implement this system.

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Just as the owners of the country are the people, the owners of the party are the party members.

Reflecting on life's struggles, Lee quoted poet Do Jong-hwan, comparing human lives and love to flowers that bloom through wind and rain. He wrote these thoughts while on a KTX train, contemplating his mother's presence and the concerned inquiries he receives. He reiterated his commitment to the "precious system" of one-person, one-vote, forged through years of hardship, and pledged to move forward with the backing of the people and party members.

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Like flowers that bloom while swaying, like flowers that bloom drenched in wind and rain, aren't all our loves and people swaying and getting drenched as we go?