Lee Un-ju

Lee Un-ju (Korean: 이언주; born 8 November 1972) is a South Korean lawyer[1] and politician who served as the Member of the National Assembly for Gwangmyeong 2nd constituency from 2012 to 2020. She formerly served as the deputy parliamentary leader of Democratic Unionist Party in 2012 and People's Party in 2017.[2][1]

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
Lee Un-ju
이언주
Member of the National Assembly
In office
30 May 2012 – 29 May 2020
Preceded byChun Jae-hui
Succeeded byYang Ki-dae
ConstituencyGwangmyeong 2nd
Personal details
Born (1972-11-08) 8 November 1972
Yeongdo District, Busan, South Korea
CitizenshipSouth Korean
Political partyPeople Power
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Unionist Party (2012-2013)
Democratic Party (2013-2014)
New Politics Alliance for Democracy (2014-2015)
Democratic Party of Korea (2015-2017)
People's Party (2017-2018)
Bareunmirae (2018-2019)
Onward for Future 4.0 (2020)
UFP (2020)
Spouse(s)Choi Won-jae
Children1 son
Alma materSeoul National University
OccupationLawyer, politician
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Eon-ju
McCune–ReischauerYi Ŏn-chu

Biography

Born in Yeongdo District, Busan,[3] Lee grew up in Singapore.[4][5] She has a degree in French at Seoul National University,[3] and passed the judicial examination in 1997.[2] She was involved in several part-time jobs after her father's business went bankrupt during the economic crisis in 1997.[1] Her mother died in 2011.[1]

During the 2000s, Lee used to work as an entrepreneur at S-Oil and Renault Samsung Motors.[2][3]

Political career

In early 2012, Lee was brought into the Democratic Unionist Party (then Democratic Party of Korea) by its president, Han Myung-sook.[6] She was nominated as an MP candidate for Gwangmyeong 2nd constituency, and defeated the incumbent Chun Jae-hui of Saenuri Party.[7][1][6] She was re-elected to the same constituency in 2016.[6]

During the presidential election in 2017, Lee criticised Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate for Democratic Party.[8] On 6 April, she shifted to People's Party and endorsed its candidate, Ahn Cheol-soo.[8][7][6] At that time, the approval rate of Ahn was as high as Moon, after her endorsement by several anti-Moon politicians.[6] Meanwhile, Ahn's approving then dropped and finished as 3rd (21.41%), approximately half of Moon.[6]

Lee unsuccessfully ran for the party president on 27 August. She agreed for the party's merger with Bareun Party, and joined Bareunmirae Party in the early 2018. In November 2018, sources reported that she would join the Liberty Korea Party.[9]

On 23 April 2019, Lee declared to leave Bareunmirae.[10][11]

In 2020 election, Lee was nominated the United Future candidate for Busan South 2nd constituency.[12] However, she lost to the Democratic candidate and the incumbent MP Park Jae-ho.[13]

Public orientation

Formerly, Lee positioned herself as a centrist.[14] She is now considered as far-right,[15] supporting a market economy,[15] an anti-immigration stance, a stronger security policy, and a conservative outlook.[16][17] However, she declares herself as liberal centre-right.[16][17]

Economy

Lee is a capitalist[14] who supports market economy and opposes the increase of minimum wages[14] and pro-labour policies. She criticised President Moon's economic policy as socialism,[18] and stated that "the US is enjoying prosperity due to capitalism".[14] She does not oppose economic democracy but says that "leftists have ruined its original meaning".[19]

Lee was widely criticised after she called school canteen cooks as "cooking moms".[6]

Immigration

Lee denounces the refugees on Jeju Island as "impostors seeking for jobs and money" and opposes them.[19] She said, "South Korean conservatives must ensure the view towards immigration policy".[16][17] She wants to reduce the number of foreign workers and mentioned that the government should prioritise locals.[16][17] Lee also advocates for harsher policy for illegal immigrants.[16]

Personal life

Lee married to Choi Won-jae, a professor of Kyung Hee University.[20] She born a son in 2009.

Election results

General elections
YearConstituencyPolitical partyVotes (%)Remarks
2012Gwangmyeong 2ndDemocratic Unionist50.09%Won
2016Gwangmyeong 2ndDemocratic52.18%Won
2020South 2ndUFPTBDDefeated

References
  1. "이언주 의원은 누구? 왜 정치를 시작하게 되었을까?". 28 April 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. "이언주 프로필". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  3. "이언주 '21대 총선은 "운동권 세력" 심판하는 선거돼야'". 14 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  4. "남편이 매일 아침 먹여주는 비타민~이언주의 에너지 비결". 26 September 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  5. "'文 정권 폭주' 맞서는 이언주 바른미래당 의원". 27 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  6. "'보수의 여전사' 이언주, 그 종착지가 궁금하다". 7 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  7. "이언주 의원, 민주당 탈당과 함께 국민의당 입당 선언". 7 April 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  8. "<색다른 시선, 김종배입니다> 이언주"문재인, 앙샹레짐(구체제)에 가까운 후보"". 6 April 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  9. "이상돈 '이언주, 한국당 行?…본인도 좋고 한국당도 좋고'". 13 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  10. "이언주 "바른미래에 남을 이유 없다" 탈당 선언…패스트트랙 반발(종합)". 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  11. "이언주, 바른미래당 탈당..."新보수의 길 갈 것"". 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  12. "이언주, 부산 남구을 전략공천에 "부산 전체가 내 고향"". 5 March 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  13. "[속보]박재호, 부산 남구을서 이언주 꺾고 재선 성공". 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  14. "이언주 '급격한 최저임금 인상은 경제적 자살'". 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  15. "'극우본색' 이언주 '이해찬은 북한 김정은이 '동지'이고 보수가 "주적"이냐'". 9 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  16. "이언주 '외국인 노동자, 자국민과 똑같이 취급해야 하나'". 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  17. "이언주는 '젊은 세대'로서 '자국민 중심주의'를 외친다". 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. "[듣고보니] 9·13 후속조치…이언주 '사회주의냐'vs 이해식 '악용 사례 막아야'". 12 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  19. "이언주 "운동권 좌파 몰아내는 게 나의 꿈"". 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  20. "이언주 의원 남편은 누구?...'요리 잘해'". 28 November 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
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