Yu Uidong "The National Committee Meeting Should Be Postponed... Should the Leadership with One Month Left in Their Term Decide the Party's Future?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the afternoon of the 28th, Yoo Ui-dong, a member of the Future United Party, hinted that the national convention scheduled for that day should be postponed. He emphasized that the cause of the general election defeat should be identified first rather than transitioning to an emergency committee (비상대책위원회, Bidae-wi). While he is not opposed to the 'Kim Jong-in emergency committee,' he criticized the '40s generation theory,' saying, "I understand the intention, but limiting (presidential candidates) by age seems to somewhat trivialize politics."

On the morning of the 28th, Yoo said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Can a leadership team with only about a month left in its term decide on an emergency committee that might last six months or even a year?"

He added, "There can be an emergency committee or a party convention as ways to overcome the party's crisis, but before discussing the leadership system, it is essential to accurately identify the exact reasons for the general election defeat and the current position of the party due to that defeat," and criticized, "Skipping such diagnosis and understanding and moving directly to discussions about an emergency committee or an early party convention feels somewhat disconnected from the lives of the people."

When asked by the host whether he would argue for postponing the national convention at the elected members' meeting that day, Yoo replied, "Yes," but added, "If the causes of the defeat are identified first and alternatives can be created before the national convention, then we will move on to the national convention. However, if the discussion prolongs, the national convention will inevitably be delayed."

Although there is opposition within the party to former General Election Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, who was appointed as the emergency committee chairman, Yoo said, "Calling for an elected members' meeting does not necessarily equate to opposing the Kim Jong-in emergency committee," and added, "Only a leadership team elected through a process of recognizing problems, finding solutions, and uniting the party's strength can have strong power to lead the party's change and reform."

Regarding the '40s generation theory' proposed by former Chairman Kim in a media interview, Yoo said, "I agree that many young talents should enter the political arena, but can the complex and multifaceted problems of Korean society be solved all at once just because someone is in their 40s or 30s?" He emphasized, "Rather than age, what matters more is how prepared the person is, how well-trained they are, and whether they can lead the spirit of the times."

He continued, "If someone in their 40s possesses those qualities and abilities, that would be much better," but added, "However, simply limiting by age seems to somewhat trivialize politics."

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