Ahn Cheol-soo: "400km Nationwide Journey... I Will Enter the Hearts of the People" (Comprehensive)

An, to directly serve as the People’s Party election committee chair
“Emergency disaster relief funds are neither sufficient nor right”
Regarding the Deobureo Citizen Party, “Seems like they aim to make President Joguk”

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party, is speaking at the Kwanhun Forum held at the Seoul Press Center on the 31st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 31st, the People’s Party held the launch ceremony of the Election Countermeasures Committee (ECC), officially entering full-scale general election mode. Representative Ahn Cheol-soo will personally take charge as the head of the ECC and will embark on a "400km nationwide tour" starting tomorrow from Yeosu, Jeollanam-do. After returning from a two-week self-quarantine, Representative Ahn sharply targeted the satellite parties for proportional representation of the Democratic Party of Korea and the United Future Party.

At a Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the same day, Representative Ahn said, "Starting tomorrow, I will traverse 400km across the country and enter the hearts of the people," adding, "I will run and walk across various parts of this land to get close to the people, and I will engage in conversations not only with those present on-site but also with those gathered online, to read the hearts of the people and listen to their voices."

Representative Ahn stated, "The nationwide tour is an expression of my determination to fight against the cunning disguised parties of the entrenched political forces," criticizing, "The arrogance and pride of the entrenched political forces, who ignore laws they themselves made and believe they can win by simply planting a flag, reach the sky. Has there ever been a case since the founding of the nation where the will of the people was so blatantly ignored and the rights of voters so severely violated?" He added, "I will firmly stand against wrong politics, unjust politics, and immoral politics," and said, "I believe this is the will of the people who called me into politics eight years ago."

Regarding the proportional satellite parties, Representative Ahn said, "I think the two entrenched major parties are essentially showing the behavior of 'a well-fed pig trying to eat more,'" and "Although it is called a semi-proportional representation system, I believe there is no difference from the 20th general election, and the number of seats the entrenched major parties can take may actually increase." In particular, he pointed out about the Deobureo Citizen Party, "I think they plan to merge after the general election to make former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk the president."

Regarding the government’s decision to provide emergency disaster relief funds of 1 million won per household for four-person households to the bottom 70% income households, Representative Ahn said, "This approach is neither sufficient nor right," adding, "I think it is right to prioritize payments to those who are financially struggling." He continued, "The economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is very serious and will last a long time," explaining, "Especially daily wage workers and those who have to worry about their livelihood every day are in great difficulty. Additional measures are needed."

Earlier, Representative Ahn urged for consideration of a plan to provide disaster relief payments totaling 1 million won over four months, consisting of 100,000 won in cash and 150,000 won in kind per month, as a special livelihood measure to maintain basic living for the lower-income people pushed to the limit.

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