Ex-football star agrees to help with election campaign of PPP’s ex-land minister Won

Retired national football player Lee Chun-soo has agreed to help with the election campaign of former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong of the ruling People Power Party as chair of his sponsorship association, Won's office said.Lee, one of the stars in South Korea's 2002 World Cup semi-final squad, joined Won in greeting commuters Thursday morning at Gyesan Subway Station in Incheon, west of Seoul, and calling for support for Won in the April 10 parliamentary elections.Lee, a native of Incheon, spent his last years as a professional player with Incheon United FC.The two reportedly first met in 2016, on the occasion of Lee's visit to a girls' high school on the southern island of Jeju, whose football team was on the verge of closing due to a suspension of government support. Won was governor of Jeju at the time.In the previous general elections, Lee endorsed a candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP). The retired athlete is said to have personal ties with former DP leader Song Young-gil who als o served as the mayor of Incheon.Won is running in Incheon's Gyeyang-B district and is expected to compete against DP leader Lee Jae-myung.Source: Yonhap News Agency