Ahead of the local elections, the People Power Party appointed Lee Hyeok-jae as a judge for its ongoing youth talent recruitment program, putting his past conduct at the center of controversy.
The People Power Party on the 25th announced the list of judges for the "metropolitan council proportional youth audition." The audition is an event designed to expand opportunities for young people to participate in politics with the June 3 local elections in mind.
Rep. Kang Myeong-gu served as chairperson, and Rep. Cho Ji-yeon; broadcaster Lee Hyeok-jae; former short-track gold medalist Song Seok-woo; Jeong Jun-ha, director of external cooperation at the National Centenarian Small Business Association; and Kim Chae-su, chair of the Chung-Ang University Student Committee, joined the judging panel.
A party official said of the composition of the judging panel, "We included external figures from various fields, such as broadcasters and Olympic gold medalists, not limited to political figures," adding, "We will conduct a comprehensive review that goes beyond simple political assessment to include popularity and real-world competitiveness."
But as attention focused on Lee Hyeok-jae's past record among the judges, criticism has grown. In particular, in January, party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said the party would "permanently strip nomination eligibility from individuals with criminal or corruption records," prompting criticism that selecting Lee as a judge is inappropriate.
Debuting in 1999 as an MBC open-recruitment comedian, Lee Hyeok-jae was active on various entertainment programs. In 2010, he sparked public outrage with an assault case involving a hostess bar employee and halted his activities. He was later embroiled in legal disputes in 2012, 2015, and 2017 for failing to repay debts worth hundreds of millions of won. Last year, he was also listed among high-amount tax delinquents.
According to National Tax Service data, Lee Hyeok-jae was delinquent on eight items, including value-added taxes, totaling 223 million won in 2021. A corporation he represents was likewise delinquent on two items, including value-added taxes, totaling 330 million won. At the time, Lee explained that he could not pay the taxes because accounts receivable from corporations exceeded 1 billion won.
Even within the People Power Party, there were reportedly skeptical reactions about whether audition applicants would readily accept Lee Hyeok-jae's evaluations. The reason cited was that the audition's original purpose—promoting public participation in vetting—could devolve into a fairness controversy due to the personal risks associated with a judge.
A total of 91,413 applicants flocked to this audition. In the preliminary public vote held from the 18th to the 23rd, participants excluding the bottom 15% will undergo the final round of judging on the 26th at the People Power Party headquarters. In the final round to be held on the 28th at ASSA Studio in Gangseo District, Seoul, the panel of judges and a public jury will evaluate the finalists through debates and interviews.