In the second half of 2023, rumors abounded that an IT expert and businessman from Busan would run for the Democratic Party of Korea in the 22nd general election. This is because doubts arose as to whether an economic expert living well in Seoul would bother to run for office in Busan. But the rumor came true.
On December 14, 2023, the Democratic Party announced that it had recruited Lee Jae-seong, former executive director of NCSoft, as its second talent recruit. The Democratic Party referred to him as a ‘self-made IT expert from scratch.’ At the talent announcement, former director Lee immediately made a bold statement: “I will run for Saha-gu, Busan.”
He attended elementary, middle, and high school in Busan (Dong-il Elementary School, Busan Seo Middle School, and Busan Jungang High School), but after graduating from Seoul National University’s Department of Computing and Statistics, he started his career at Hansol PCS, a mobile communications company, and moved to Netmarble, a venture company at the time, in 2002, and later worked at NCSoft. He served as an executive at a software company for 15 years, including as executive director, CEO of NC Soft Service, and executive director of the NC Cultural Foundation. He also led the founding of the professional baseball NC Dinos. He is also the person responsible for hosting Korea’s largest game show, ‘G-Star (International Game Exhibition)’ in Busan.
Truly a self-made IT expert, despite being 53 years old, he boldly took on the challenge of Busan, a rough region, especially Saha-gu, where 5-term People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae is located. <프레시안>The former director, whom I met, was filled with tears when he remembered his late mother who lived in Saha-gu all his life, but said, “I can’t entrust 24 years to the person who entrusted me with 20 years,” and combined his strengths in the IT field as well as e-sports to build a business in Busan. He expressed his determination to lead the development of Saha.
Below is an interview with Lee Jae-seong, candidate for Saha-gu, Busan, Democratic Party of Korea.
Pressian: Is there a reason why you chose to run for Saha-gu, Busan, even though you are the 2nd most recruited talent?
Jaeseong Lee: One of the reasons I came to Busan was because I felt that Busan was declining day by day, and it was sad. Even if you look at Incheon Bay, Busan is lagging behind in many indicators, even if it is not Seoul. Incheon’s transportation with Seoul is getting better, the bio industry is becoming more specialized, and Yonsei University even has a first-year campus in Incheon. There was concern as to whether Busan could really be said to be the second largest city in Korea in this situation. Ultimately, it was really sad that none of the top 100 companies were in Busan. Even now, there is no company representing Busan. I think it will be difficult for Busan to develop dynamically unless this structure is resolved. If so, we must boldly look for new growth engines. I want to discover new growth engines in my hometown, realize those dreams, and engage in politics that inspires people.
Pressian: What is it like to run in an election yourself?
Jaeseong Lee: I am learning about Saha and I feel a different sense of reward than when I was working. I wanted to live a life doing something meaningful rather than simply making money, and that will led me to politics. Of course, there are some difficult aspects, but the pride and reward that comes from new experiences allows us to overcome these difficulties.
I have about 25,000 subscribers on YouTube, and I feel proud when I see the comments. There is also a comment saying that my son must vote for candidate Lee Jae-seong. Paradoxically, being a member of the National Assembly can be considered rewarding because it is not about making money.
As an economic expert, I am seeing a response as differentiated and significant pledges become known regarding plans to revitalize the local economy. When I give out business cards, people sometimes ask if this kind of candidate is here. While my awareness is increasing, fatigue with Rep. Gyeong-tae Cho is increasing, so I think I will be able to catch up in April.
Especially when the official election campaign begins, you can grab the microphone. Everyone knows about Rep. Gyeong-tae Cho, but there is a lack of awareness about candidate Jae-seong Lee. Awareness will naturally increase over time, and dissatisfaction with Rep. Gyeong-tae Cho is growing, so I think this is an election worth running when these sentiments are felt.
My wife also came down with me to campaign, and the response to this was also good. Her wife is a Seoulite who speaks Seoul and is a pharmacist, but she is in a good mood as it is known that she greets her husband from dawn despite the rain during his election campaign.
▲ Lee Jae-seong, candidate for Saha-gu, Busan, Democratic Party of Korea. ⓒPressian (Park Ho-kyung)
Pressian: Ever since he decided to run for office, he has been sniping at Rep. Gyeong-tae Cho. How would you evaluate Rep. Cho’s fifth term?
Jaeseong Lee: First of all, there is clearly a level of fatigue among residents. With the economy in such a bad situation, a person who has been a member of the National Assembly for 20 years says he will serve for another 4 years. If no change is made, what kind of politician will take care of the Saha region’s economy in the future?
I understand that even during the primary within the People Power Party, there were suspicions regarding the assets of some lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae. Also, the fact that he said he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons without asking the residents’ opinions at all is also being reexamined. Didn’t you also make an effort to incorporate Gimpo into Seoul just a few months ago? Because of this, it is not the landscape of the past. As people say he may have lost his original intention, he feels like he needs to make a change this time. Crucially, we also hear that Rep. Gyeong-tae Cho may be making preparations now to eventually leave his post.
And compared to other leading lawmakers, Rep. Seo Byeong-soo ran for office in a difficult district, but there is a perception that the ones who insisted on running in their own constituencies are Reps. Cho Kyung-tae in Busan and Rep. Kim Ki-hyun in Ulsan. As a result, there is a view that it is difficult for the People Power Party to grow further, so what power can division have even if it is elected 6 times? Even if there are six identical terms within the party, Rep. Seo Byeong-soo is elected in a difficult district, and Rep. Kyung-tae Cho is in his constituency until the end.
Looking at Rep. Cho Kyung-tae’s political actions, he was far from the mainstream People Power Party. When I meet people who give their own opinions on politics, they say that even if Gyeong-tae becomes Kyung-tae, he has passed his peak and it is difficult to exert his power, but if Lee Jae-sung is elected, he will have a significant impact on the moderates because he has no choice but to receive power.
Pressian: You had tears in your eyes at the last press conference for your candidacy. Is this because what emotions come to mind when you look at your constituency?
Jaeseong Lee: My mother came to mind. It’s been a little over a year and four months since my mother passed away. Her grief was enormous when she realized that her mother’s brain function was declining. My oldest child was asked almost once a month if he was discharged from the military. Still, she was a successful child, but her mother always said that she didn’t want to be a burden to me. If you look at our area, there are many households where the income is not very high and people over the age of 60 live there. However, if dementia develops in such a home, it is a waste of money, so this time I made a pledge to create a structure where dementia prevention checkups can be conducted by visiting homes.
My mother eventually developed a lot of difficulty moving around and hated going out of the house. When I come here and walk around the area, I see houses dotted with narrow stairs, and people who are my mother’s age sitting in front of the houses in the alleys where I used to play when I was young. It brings back memories of the past. I keep thinking that my mother would have been happy to see me putting these pledges into practice.
Pressian: If you enter the National Assembly, are there any bills that need to be improved or bills that you would like to propose?
Jaeseong Lee: I would like to propose a complete amendment to the e-Sports Promotion Act. e-Sports has established itself as Korea’s representative content industry, with the establishment of an e-Sports technology research institute, expansion of tax support, and the establishment of an e-Sports museum and player memorial hall as a world-class attraction. In particular, Busan has become a mecca for e-Sports, attracting 700 million e-Sports fans from around the world. I want to make it a bucket list item.
Pressian: What is the diagnosis and overcoming plan for the overall economic crisis in Saha?
Jaeseong Lee: Residents continue to leave. In particular, the population aged 20 to 59, which is the core of the Saha-gu region’s economy, has decreased by 26,824 over the past four years. So how can Saha’s economy be good and how can local commercial districts survive? Saha-gu’s ranking of residents in terms of whether they intend to stay and live there is 14th out of 16 districts. Only 58.5% of residents responded that they wanted to continue living there.
Saha-gu’s ranking of eco-friendly meal expenses for middle and high school students is 15th out of 16 districts. The unit cost of support per meal is 66 won, which is only about 10% of the first place. Ultimately, attracting companies, creating jobs, and attracting foreign and domestic tourists are ways to overcome the revitalization of the Saha economy.
We will create quality jobs by attracting companies at the level of the top 100 companies, fostering small and medium-sized businesses, ventures, and startups at the level of the top 100 companies, and establishing Korea’s first digital hub for brain function improvement and dementia prevention. We will attract overseas and domestic tourists by creating an e-sports theme city with world-class attractions, an e-sports museum, an e-sports legend player memorial hall, and an e-sports cafe street.
Pressian: Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to the residents of Saha-gu?
Jaeseong Lee: This general election is a time for residents to check and judge. You have to think about your children and grandchildren. Even though the economy is not improving, there are some people who just tolerate it and others who point out that this is a mistake. When these mistakes are pointed out and kept in check, Saha can truly develop.
Our voters say that over the past 20 years, one member of the National Assembly will continue to work for another 24 years, but what rank does Saha’s development over the past 20 years actually rank? Development is a matter of speed and quality. If Saha continues like this, he will have no choice but to go to the area with the worst economic conditions in Busan. When we think of our children and grandchildren, our Sahaeul must also change. So, my slogan also has to change in order to survive.
If things don’t change now, it will become difficult to exist. Residents should look at the local economy and the overall national economic situation and boldly take up the cane. It is a neighborhood where it is difficult to make a living, but progress can be made when a structure is created to determine whether Rep. A takes good care of the people’s livelihood or Rep. B takes better care of it. I really hope that Saha residents will evaluate it calmly.
