'Guanxi' and Backroom Power Controversy Around Lee Jae-myung

China's 'guanxi' refers to an interest community and trust that go beyond classmates or relatives, a special bond built for survival amid countless wars and among different ethnic groups.

Combined with the modern Chinese Communist Party system, it functions as a broad channel that includes privilege and illegality.

Prof. Lee Je-bong asked, "What kind of relationship do Kim Hyun-ji and Lee Jae-myung actually have?" suggesting it may be a 'guanxi' that goes beyond an ordinary Korean personal network.

Kim showed abnormal conduct, such as signing on to her father's funeral guest book, then deleting her name immediately after it drew attention.

He questioned why Kim's background is so hard to trace, noting that the careers of ordinary young people in Korean society are usually exposed.

Opinions were raised that it is inappropriate for an informal group to wield influence behind the official title of first-secretary office head.

Unlike past political figures whose origins could be checked even when their activities were opaque, basic verification is now failing in a growing number of cases.

Personnel decisions and state affairs interventions should be preceded by public disclosure of personal background, and informal activist-style groups should avoid exerting influence through unofficial channels.

An analysis was presented that the way former activists took control of working-level posts and manipulated student council presidents from behind resembles the power structure of the current minority party.

Methods in which backing forces such as the Gyeonggi-dong Alliance, the Hanchongryon, or Seongnam gang figures use lawmakers as fronts undermine the efficiency of state management.

Public titles like student council president are chosen by students, but the real organization is controlled from behind by activists in lower-ranked posts such as planning department heads.

A view was offered that even if a particular figure were a foreign agent, it would be difficult for them to take over the state system because South Korea is sufficiently internationalized.

Intelligence agencies including the US CIA are closely watching the Korean situation, so unilateral destruction of security is impossible, it was argued.

Because South Korea has achieved a high level of internationalization, it has an environment in which external pressure such as foreign economic sanctions can block threats early.

Criticism was raised that former activist politicians cannot restrain aide Kim Hyun-ji because they are mindful of Lee Jae-myung's power over nominations and posts.

The current silence and leverage-bound conduct of past activist figures such as Lim Jong-seok, Lee In-young, and Yu Si-min were cited.

Activist-origin figures in the Democratic Party tolerating Lee Jae-myung's misconduct in hopes of nominations is an abdication of their responsibility to run the country.

It was raised that South Korean legal professionals enjoy privileges unparalleled anywhere in the world.

To restore trust in South Korea's judicial system, the Supreme Court should expedite Lee Jae-myung's trial and take judicial action.

An argument was made that the trials of Lee Jae-myung and Kim Hyun-ji should be resumed immediately.

The view is that handling them through legal procedures is more efficient than having the public bring them down through bloodshed.

Regardless of camp politics, eliminating the forces driving South Korea into crisis, across party and left-right lines, is the first step toward purifying politics.

Prof. Lee said, "Now you're keeping Lee Jae-myung alive. If you keep someone like Kim Hyun-ji alive, they'll pull strings and our country becomes a vassal of China, and you won't survive under Jae-myung either. So even among leftists, people like Lee Jae-myung have to be caught."

A press conference will be held at the fountain in front of the presidential office on Hangul Day, October 9.

The professors agreed to begin action first under the slogan 'Lee Jae-myung, face your trial.'

He previewed that the campaign will be sustained and escalated toward calling for Lee Jae-myung's resignation, saying, "So from then on, we'll keep chanting 'Lee Jae-myung, face your trial.'"

An analysis was offered that they are not eliminated by the Democratic Party, the opposition, because they are agents of the same branch managed in a cell structure.

Prof. Lee Je-bong diagnosed that a higher-level group manages these politicians, so Lee Jae-myung or the Democratic Party cannot arbitrarily punish them, and added that this is why the Democrats cannot catch Han Dong-hoon or Lee Jun-seok.

Prof. Lee Je-bong remarked that the very intent behind asking whether someone is a disguised conservative is suspicious.

He praised Prof. Lee Young-hoon for correcting distorted history through his conversion, adding that criticizing the past matters because its content is connected to the present.

Prof. Lee explained that he and his students have secured irrefutable evidence to correct public misunderstandings about the comfort women issue.

He stated that he has organized the points the public misunderstands about Korea's modern history and the comfort women issue so that no one in the world can refute them.

Prof. Lee Je-bong stressed that forces that previously led the mad cow disease agitation have infiltrated the current People Power Party.

He said that criticizing Lee Jae-myung does not necessarily mean conversion, and that opportunists acting for nominations or office should be guarded against.

His argument is that one should be wary of those who, without conversion, opportunistically infiltrate the People Power Party and merely insult Lee Jae-myung, and that criticizing Jung Chung-rae or Yu Si-min does not make someone worthy of respect.

Links between the Democratic Party and the Lee Jun-seok and Han Dong-hoon branch forces serve as a yardstick for distinguishing disguised conservatives. Denying election fraud signals a lack of fighting will, and these figures share the trait of halting activity at decisive moments.

An analysis was presented that connections between the Democratic Party and the operating forces of the Lee Jun-seok and Han Dong-hoon branches are suspected.

Prof. Lee Je-bong cited cases where disguised conservatives stop their activity at decisive moments, saying, "Why is Kim Cheol-bong a disguised conservative? He sincerely bashes Lee Jae-myung these days and fights, but he denies the election fraud. He himself lost because of election fraud, yet he doesn't fight that struggle. And he says he'll bring in Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jun-seok."

A suggestion was made that accurate direction matters more than numbers in rebuilding South Korea.

Prof. Lee Je-bong valued the worth of one right person over many people with low intelligence, and urged vigilance toward forces seeking to unite with disguised conservatives.

He said, "For Korea to reset, it's not about everyone gathering their strength. It's about gathering the right people together. Numbers aren't what matter. The direction and content have to be accurate."