[Interview] Park Hyung-jun, Election Committee Chair, "We Can Win 20 Seats in Seoul... Overemphasizing 'Regime Judgment' Is a Mistake"

Unfavorable Situation for the Opposition Due to COVID-19... Must Approach with Humility

Park Hyung-jun, Future United Party Election Committee Chairman. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] He has always been present at the seat of conservative grand unification. Having led the unification as the Chairperson of the Innovation Integration Promotion Committee and then as the Co-Chairperson of the Unified New Party Preparatory Committee, we met Park Hyung-jun, the Co-Chairperson of the Future United Party’s election campaign committee, who is now responsible for the party’s election efforts. In an election landscape that has shifted unfavorably for the opposition due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Park expressed confidence, saying, "We can secure 20 seats in Seoul." However, he also expressed concern that relying solely on the existing general election frame of 'regime judgment theory' could backfire.

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 20th, Park said, "If the Future United Party wins more than 20 seats in Seoul, it can aim to become the ruling party nationwide." He added, "Seoul is the battleground for this election. If we only manage about 12 seats as before in Seoul, I believe we will lose the election. I see this election as one where we can win 20 seats, and if we get more, the chances of victory increase. Securing more than 20 seats in Seoul means that Gyeonggi and Incheon will also perform well."

Seoul is a region where the Future United Party’s support is weak. Out of the existing 49 constituencies, the party’s predecessor, the Liberty Korea Party, held 9 seats, and the New Conservative Party held 3 seats, totaling only 12 seats. This accounts for just a quarter of the total. The goal of 20 seats is double the previous number. However, Park explained that it is a feasible target. He said, "Since Yeongnam has more seats than Honam, we can make up for it there, and Chungcheong is not doing badly either. Nationwide, if we secure 140 seats, we can become the ruling party, and if we get more than 150 seats, there is no question about it."

According to his analysis, the election frame should be aligned with the government’s failures over the past three years. However, he also expressed concern that being fixated on the 'regime judgment theory' could be a misstep. This is because the political landscape has changed dramatically within a month due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Park said, "As the economic crisis hits due to COVID-19, in a national crisis situation, the ruling party’s 'stability theory' is likely to resonate. When the president constantly steps forward and calls for overcoming the national crisis, it seems like something is being done. From the public’s perspective, the opposition’s voice may sound faint."

He also admitted that the party must reflect on the fatigue caused to the public by the nomination controversy between the Future United Party and the Future Korea Party. He said, "The nomination scandal of the Future Korea Party has cost us a lot of the points we had gained. We must honestly apologize for the mistakes made during that process. This election is not one where we appeal to the public by saying 'we did well,' but one where we must approach humbly and with a low profile."

Park revealed that he only received the request to serve as co-chairperson of the election campaign committee last weekend (the 15th). He was effectively called in as a relief pitcher. He said, "I thought about it, but as someone who served as co-chairperson of the Unified New Party Preparatory Committee, I decided to join because I believe that achieving good results in the general election is meaningful for unification."

Could a strong theme like 'economic democratization,' which former Democratic Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in proposed during the 2012 presidential election, emerge this time? Park said, "This time, 'reviving the economy' will be the key theme. The government has announced a total of 50 trillion won in livelihood and financial stability measures, but they are mostly guarantees without practical content. From the opposition’s standpoint, it is necessary to expose this and demand effective measures." He also added that practical stock market stabilization measures should be prepared for those in their 30s who suffered losses due to the stock market crash.

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