Lee Jun-seok Rejects "Kim Jong-in Great Expectation Theory"... "Don't Touch What Doesn't Work"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former Supreme Council Member Lee Jun-seok of the United Future Party dismissed the 'great ambition theory' of Kim Jong-in, the party's emergency committee chairman, saying, "If something doesn't work, you don't cling to it for long."

Former Supreme Council Member Lee appeared on KBS Radio's 'Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs' on the 30th and said, "I have met him for eight years, but he has moved beyond that stage (presidential candidate). Being in the early 70s is different, mid-70s is different, and early 80s is different," referring to Kim Jong-in.

He said, "One of the images that comes to mind when thinking of Kim Jong-in is 'he absolutely does not touch what doesn't work.' For example, when he was an emergency committee member of the Saenuri Party, he left without regret when he had a falling out with President Park Geun-hye," and emphasized, "unlike the old politician Mr. N whom I met in the Bareunmirae Party, this person leaves without regret when he thinks his role is done." This appears to be a reference to former Minsheng Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu.

Former Supreme Council Member Lee said, "In 2017, he once tried to run for president, but when various ups and downs occurred, he immediately gave up," and explained, "that itself is not something to criticize at all. It's fine as long as it's not people who cling to what doesn't work and try to pursue their own selfish desires."

Regarding criticism that even after a month since Chairman Kim took office, he has not presented clear alternatives on issues like basic income, he said, "That is symbolic of a change in direction, and it was not the first task Chairman Kim wanted to achieve," and explained, "but these are highly inflammable issues."

Former Supreme Council Member Lee emphasized that what Chairman Kim is trying to do is to "remove the saltiness." He said, "It is about removing the elements that make the party too 'salty' for the general public to drink," and stressed, "When the public frames and condemns the opposing side, it may resonate initially, but if the same tune is played continuously, it causes fatigue."

He cited the ruling party's 'native pro-Japanese' frame as an example, saying, "Calling out 'native pro-Japanese' can be a song sung for about a month, but if you keep singing that song throughout your administration, people start to think, 'Is that all they have?' and feel strong saltiness," and explained, "However, the conservative side also had a few such discourses, but they were blocked early. For example, the fraudulent election discourse was not even looked at by the emergency committee, so it naturally entered a phase of extinction."

Regarding the recent Incheon International Airport Corporation (In-guk-gong) incident, he said, "If permanent employment and expertise are needed, job security should naturally be guaranteed, but the problem lies in the hiring process," and added, "We just need to establish standards on which parts of the public sector should be directly employed going forward, but from an external perspective, there is nothing distinctive other than what the president announced right after taking office on May 12, 2017, when he visited Incheon International Airport Corporation."

Former Supreme Council Member Lee said, "If principles such as 'there is continuity in public institutions' or 'it is a national core facility' are set, then even in this building (KBS) where we are broadcasting right now, the security personnel are currently employed by subsidiaries," and questioned, "if the security personnel at Incheon International Airport Corporation are converted to civil petition police based on some grounds, then why are the security personnel at KBS, a national core public broadcasting station, employed separately?"

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