[Interview] Yoon Geon-young "Progressive Camp Public Sentiment 'Red Light'... Democratic Party Must Become Desperate"

Yoon Geon-young, Former Blue House Situation Room Chief, First Media Interview After Registering as Preliminary Candidate for Seoul Guro-eul
"General Election Itself Is Not Easy... Capital Region Election Is Very Difficult"
"Inter-Korean Relations Must Continue to Progress Within the 5 Years of Moon Administration to a Level Where 'Regression Is Difficult'"

Yoon Geon-young, former Chief of the Blue House National Planning Situation Room, is holding an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd at his election office located in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] "A 'red light' has turned on for the progressive reform camp. To put it bluntly, the Democratic Party has become too 'complacent.' The party needs to become more desperate."

Yoon Gun-young, former Chief of the Blue House National Policy Planning Situation Room, known as President Moon Jae-in's 'right-hand man,' said this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd at his election office located in Guro-gu, Seoul, when asked about the general election outlook. This was his first media interview since registering as a preliminary candidate for the local constituency (Seoul Guro-eul) and officially setting up his campaign.

Yoon resigned from the Blue House in early last month and spent about a month listening to grassroots public sentiment on the ground. Having spent over two and a half years monitoring the national situation since the government’s launch, his first diagnosis was a sense of crisis: "This general election itself is not easy. Especially, the metropolitan area elections are very difficult."

He is a close aide who has assisted President Moon since 2011. He is the person who has met North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un the most in South Korea and has acted as a frontline messenger at major turning points in inter-Korean relations, earning the nickname "the man of Panmunjom."

Yoon, who spoke candidly on political, economic, and inter-Korean issues, sighed heavily when asked about the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia) situation. Nevertheless, he expressed trust, saying, "I believe in the Moon Jae-in administration’s crisis management capabilities." Below is a Q&A with former Chief Yoon.

-What is your resolve for the general election?

▲Whether inside or outside the Blue House, the goal is the success of the Moon Jae-in administration. Only the role changes. As the term progresses, close communication among the party, government, and Blue House becomes important, and I think I can do that well. Also, I aim to be a small lever in areas where inter-Korean relations are not progressing well.

-Having listened directly to public sentiment, how do you see the general election outlook?

▲The general election itself seems not easy. A red light has turned on for the progressive reform camp. The public is strongly warning. To put it bluntly, the Democratic Party has become too complacent. It needs to become more desperate. Especially, the metropolitan area elections are very difficult.

-Do you accept the criticisms coming from within the progressive camp?

▲Basically, grassroots public sentiment is sending cynicism toward the political sphere. Among them, there are also voices saying the Democratic Party has lost its mind. The defection of those who created the Moon Jae-in administration is very painful and deeply felt. The younger generation still feels life is tough, and we have not provided answers to that problem. Even if we have, the impact is not well felt. This is something we must fully accept and acknowledge. However, the Moon Jae-in administration is an era of transition toward normalizing the abnormal. I cautiously think it can be the 'eldest of the new era,' not the 'youngest of the old era.'

-What did President Moon ask of you when you left the Blue House?

▲There was no special request. We had a delicious lunch together.

-You must have talked during the meal.

▲....(laughs)

-Did he feel disappointed?

▲He’s not that kind of character.

Yoon Geon-young, former Chief of the Blue House National Planning Situation Room, is holding an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd at his election office located in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

-Since the second half of last year, has there been any dialogue through any inter-Korean channels?

▲There are various channels between North and South Korea. That is why there are exchanges of letters, personal messages, and birthday greetings between the leaders.

-Do you think the Moon Jae-in administration can achieve (Korean Peninsula denuclearization) results within its term?

▲Korean Peninsula denuclearization is a topic that requires a long time. If you set a specific administration term as a deadline, it can become hasty. Because of the limitations of a single-term system, the goal is to continue moving forward to a point where regression within five years is difficult. There may be momentary setbacks, but ultimately the forward momentum will be stronger. To say one thing, Korean Peninsula denuclearization has been an issue dragged on for 30 years since the 1990s. I think the achievements made by the Moon Jae-in administration in the past two and a half years are much more than those in the previous 27 and a half years.

-What will be the catalyst for progress in inter-Korean relations this year?

▲North Korea and the U.S. need to meet quickly. Politically imagining, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun should go to Pyongyang and sit face to face. North Korea must respond. Another important occasion is the Tokyo Olympics this July. It should be made into a 'second PyeongChang.'

-There is a perception that 'progressives are incompetent in the economy' and criticism that the Moon Jae-in administration pursues anti-business market policies.

▲This is an intentional frame that negatively affects the economy. The Roh Moo-hyun administration, considered closest to the progressive side, had macroeconomic figures incomparably better than the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration.

-The decline in support among people in their 30s for the Moon Jae-in administration is attributed to real estate policies.

▲We need to look at where the rapid rise in real estate prices came from. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, real estate prices rose significantly, and there was tremendous policy effort. As a result, from 2008 to 2014, the real estate market stabilized. However, in 2014, there was 'Choinomics,' which removed all regulations, telling people to 'buy houses with debt.' I think some effects of that are appearing now. The Moon Jae-in administration’s real estate policy stance is 'we will definitely control it.' If existing measures are insufficient, new measures will be introduced.

-Public anxiety is growing due to the novel coronavirus situation.

▲(sigh) I think this is a time when the saying 'act one step faster, think one more time' is needed. I believe the government is doing well overall in its response. It is regrettable that some minor details are being missed. However, unlike the MERS situation when the government tried to hide information, the transparent disclosure of information is an important point. Also, the political sphere, especially the opposition, has not yet come to its senses. Public safety and disease should not be calculated as votes. It is time to calmly unite strength without inciting or provoking.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.