[Interview with Top Yeo Candidate] Han Byung-do: "Next Leadership Must Do Their Job but Stay Humble"

Han Byung-do, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] "Based on my experience as Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, I will serve as a lubricant between the party and the government."

This is the pledge of Assemblyman Han Byung-do, who has thrown his hat into the ring for the Supreme Council of the Democratic Party of Korea. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 11th, Han emphasized communication among the party, government, and Blue House, asserting the legitimacy of his candidacy as a former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House.

Regarding his motivation to run for the Supreme Council, he explained, "After being elected as a member of the National Assembly, I never considered becoming a Supreme Council member. Although the high-level party-government-Blue House cooperation is currently functioning well, many lawmakers expressed that in the latter half of the term, relationships will become more important, so a lubricant role is necessary. Having served as Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, I judged that I could contribute to the Moon Jae-in administration through active communication."

In fact, Han's communication skills are well recognized in political circles. During the 20th National Assembly, which was heading toward a breakdown due to conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties, Han played a decisive role in establishing the 'Permanent Consultative Body for Government Affairs among the Ruling and Opposition Parties.' This was when he was Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House.

Han emphasized 'humble leadership' as a virtue the next leadership should possess. He advised not to place too much significance on the symbolic '176 seats' but to focus humbly on the people's livelihood. His stance is closely related to the party's recent declining approval ratings. Regarding the drop in party support, Han diagnosed, "Due to confusion in the real estate market and sexual misconduct by local government heads, the ruling party, which should be strict with itself, seems to have disappointed the public." He added, "As a public party, we must do our work in the National Assembly but approach the people seriously based on 'humility.'"

However, he showed a bitter expression when addressing criticism that the ruling party is 'running wild,' such as monopolizing standing committees. Han said, "We gave up seven key standing committee chair positions, including the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, and even agreed to undergo a parliamentary inspection regarding the Yoon Mi-hyang incident, so the claim of ruling party dominance is a one-sided frame by the opposition." He continued, "Real estate-related bills could not proceed because the United Future Party did not attend the standing committee for two weeks. A clear evaluation of the criticism of unilateral rule is necessary."

Han Byung-do, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Han identified 'reform of power institutions' as one of the urgent tasks in the latter half of the Moon Jae-in administration. He said, "Most public institutions in our country operate under democratic procedures and systems, but the prosecution still retains a unique culture, such as the 'prosecutor unity' principle." He added, "No power, including the president, can reign above the people. The prosecution must also operate under democratic control and systems." He further explained, "It's not about weakening the prosecution's power. The core of power institution reform is to redefine the prosecution's status in a democratic society."

He also expressed the view that legal amendments are inevitable for the launch of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HICO). Han said, "The United Future Party is using delay tactics by not nominating members for the HICO chief recommendation committee and waiting for the Constitutional Court's ruling, which I see as a lack of willingness to negotiate. If so, legal amendments are the only option." He added, "Power institution reform is a national agenda of this administration, and failure to achieve it could lead to further criticism from the public."

Regarding the real estate policies proposed by the party and government, Han predicted that their effects would be seen around the end of next year or early the following year, while emphasizing additional measures to counter real estate speculation. He said, "The core issue in real estate is that idle funds flow into real estate, causing house prices to rise continuously and distorting the market. If such problems persist after this policy, we must push policies that prevent making profits from real estate altogether." He continued, "After this policy, many irregular methods to evade taxes are expected to emerge, so continuous monitoring and immediate response are necessary."

On the methodology for relocating the administrative capital, Han favored enacting a 'special law' through bipartisan agreement. He stated, "Constitutional amendments and national referendums are complicated and time-consuming to gather consensus on the agenda. Enacting a special law is the most realistic method." He added, "Some local areas are not just facing population outflow but are at risk of extinction. To resolve national balanced development and local population decline, the relocation of secondary public institutions must also be carried out."

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