Jung Byung-guk: "United Future Party Needs Innovative Change Beyond Emergency Committee... Must Cooperate on Supplementary Budget"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jeong Byeong-guk, a member of the Future United Party, demanded a comprehensive reform, stating that "an innovative paradigm beyond the emergency committee is needed" regarding the party's defeat in the general election. He emphasized that the Future United Party had acted "like a party with a majority despite winning only 103 seats" and that it should actively cooperate with the supplementary budget bill (추경) going forward.

On the 17th, Jeong appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "We need to change the paradigm innovatively and fundamentally, something we haven't considered before."

Regarding the speculation about 'Kim Jong-in as emergency committee chairman,' he said, "Forming an emergency committee is not a panacea." He added, "Although Chairman Kim Jong-in has achieved results by serving as emergency committee chairman several times across party lines in the past, I don't think the people who left will return just because the Future United Party changes at that level given the current situation."

About former general election campaign committee chairman Kim Jong-in's interview where he stated that generational change is needed with personnel from the late 70s, Jeong said, "I fully agree. Practically, within the conservative party, there isn't an ecosystem where young people who want to do something are formed, so there is still no confidence whether I can do it or not." He added, "Therefore, if we don't fundamentally change and throw it to them, there is no future."

Regarding the issue of reinstating those elected as independents, he said, "We must follow principles," and added, "Saying 'I will never accept them' and then quietly accepting them after the election because 'we need seats immediately' is not right in my view."

He also said the party should cooperate with the government's supplementary budget, stating, "Criticism just for the sake of criticism that obstructs progress is not acceptable. We should not take to the streets." He continued, "People who criticized like that during their time as the ruling party were the first to go outside as soon as they became the opposition, and that has shown an unchanging political behavior."

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