Lee Byung-tae, a former KAIST professor who worked as a policy expert in Hong Joon-pyo's campaign during the People Power Party presidential primary, has decided to assist Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, in the final election.
On the 12th, the former professor revealed through his Facebook that he is joining the Lee Jae-myung campaign, stating, "I want to convey mainstream economic theories to candidate Lee Jae-myung."
He continued, "I am also prepared for the possibility that I might fail and be discarded by them, and I am determined to withdraw and live the life of a forgotten retiree whenever my beliefs are not accepted."
The former professor noted, "As the main character of my life, I believe all blame and mockery are mine to bear, and even if I enter a tiger's den and end up with only wounds, I want to make one last cry for economic freedom and conclude my social contributions."
He also explained why he cannot assist Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party.
He said, "The main reason I cannot support candidate Kim Moon-soo is the conspiracy theory of election fraud, and I cannot accept a leadership that is anti-intellectual, nor can I accept his legitimacy as the process was not a fair game. His labor movement-style economic views are also a concern."
Nevertheless, he stated, "It is fortunate that the 10 major policies organized by the party today are relatively aligned with free market values, and I sincerely hope that candidate Kim Moon-soo understands those promises."
The former professor has been serving as the head of the policy task force in Hong Joon-pyo's campaign, overseeing economic policies. Specifically, he has been responsible for designing policies aimed at reducing regulations on virtual assets to prevent a decline in global competitiveness.
The former professor is said to have been recommended by Chung Kyu-jae, a former chief editor of the Korea Economic Daily, who had dinner with candidate Lee Jae-myung.