**”Political Engineering Integration is Meaningless”: Rejection of the Big Tent Theory**
On May 4th, Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, visited the Gwangju National May 18th National Cemetery and pledged to “reflect on the essence of politics and take the lead in practicing the spirit of May.”
On this day, Lee, along with members of the Reform New Party in the National Assembly, paid their respects at the cemetery and placed handwritten letters and chrysanthemums at the graves of the 1,027 victims of May 18th.
Lee stated, “I remember laying chrysanthemums last year that I personally brought from the Gyeongsang Province,” and noted, “This year, I wrote personal letters with party members and dedicated them to each individual.”
In particular, Lee mentioned Ko Jeong Dong-nyeon, the former chairman of the May 18th Memorial Foundation, whom he had interacted with during his lifetime, saying, “He taught me what the spirit of May is, and as I challenge for the presidency now, I promised in the letter to live as a politician who is not ashamed.”
In his letter, he wrote, “I will place the courage and solidarity that May Gwangju showed at the center of my politics,” and expressed his intention to “move beyond division to foster politics of integration.”
Regarding former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s recent attempted visit to the May 18th cemetery, which was met with public opposition, Lee commented, “I don’t want to hastily doubt the sincerity,” and added, “We had prepared in advance for May, so my visit was not related to the recent situation.”
When asked about restoring relations with the People Power Party, he drew a line, saying, “We will walk our own path regardless of their decisions.”
On the Big Tent Theory, Lee remarked, “Political engineering integration is meaningless,” and expressed his commitment to follow the path of former President Roh Moo-hyun, who refused the merger of three parties and upheld his beliefs.
To the voters in the Honam region, Lee stated, “This election is about choosing the future,” adding that true change occurs through competition when the younger generation presents new ideas, as in the case of the multiplex mall in Gwangju. He pledged to “repay with better politics so as not to be ashamed in front of Gwangju.”
The Reform New Party continues its efforts to honor the spirit of May 18th by visiting Gwangju for the second consecutive year.