[Backbriefing] United Party Reaches Out to Honam While Calling for 'Minsheng'

Volunteer Activities for Flood Recovery in Namwon, Jeonbuk on the 13th

Future United Party floor leader Joo Ho-young (left) and Assemblyman Jung Woon-chun are preparing for a press briefing on the 13th while conducting flood recovery activities in Yongjeon Village, Geumji-myeon, Namwon City, Jeonbuk.

[Namwon (Jeonbuk) = Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] "Since the time of the Grand National Party, I have been involved for 12 years, but I have never seen such participation in Honam. I was deeply moved." (Jeong Un-cheon, Future United Party lawmaker from Jeonbuk)

On the 13th, the United Party worked hard in Honam. Joo Ho-young, the floor leader, along with about 300 party members, including lawmakers and aides, visited Yongjeon Village in Namwon, Jeonbuk, which was damaged by the flooding of the Seomjin River, to volunteer for flood recovery efforts. Instead of suits and dress shoes, they wore traditional padded pants and rubber boots, each with a towel draped over their shoulders. The United Party’s presence at the flood site was in stark contrast to their past when they often engaged in outdoor protests. Surrounded by staunch supporters, this time the United Party was the first to stand by the people’s livelihood.

The scene at the flood site was devastating. From the village entrance, a foul odor lingered, and piles of mud and water-damaged household items were stacked like mountains. Although the floodwaters had receded, marks on the exterior walls of buildings showed that the water had risen to the shoulder height of an adult male. When Floor Leader Joo offered words of comfort while helping with the recovery, a victim became tearful. Villagers encouraged each other, saying, "Take breaks as you might get exhausted."

The United Party lawmakers did not reveal their identities and focused solely on flood recovery. As a result, many residents did not even realize that the volunteers were lawmakers. One resident asked, “Your accent sounds like it’s from Gyeongsang Province, where are you from?” Some villagers appeared somewhat surprised when they heard the volunteers were from the United Party.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, is helping with flood recovery work on the 13th in Yongjeon Village, Geumji-myeon, Namwon City, Jeonbuk.

Floor Leader Joo also worked hard, moving flood-damaged waste while sweating profusely. From morning until afternoon, he was soaked in sweat during the recovery work. His clothes, boots, and even his white mask were splattered with muddy water. Joo said, “I don’t know if I visited every alley and house, but the situation is extremely serious. Thinking about how desperate the elderly living here must have felt breaks my heart,” adding, “It makes me think once again that politics and administration must be done well to prevent such incidents.”

In fact, a press conference marking Floor Leader Joo’s 100th day in office was scheduled for that day. However, the event was postponed by a day due to the flood recovery volunteer work. When reporters asked about current issues, Joo avoided answering, saying, “Let’s only talk about the flood today,” and “Let’s talk tomorrow.” Instead, he appealed for articles encouraging more citizens to participate in volunteer work. Joo said, “We plan to build a system that allows party-centered volunteers to help more actively. Furthermore, I hope this movement will grow like when many volunteers went to resolve the West Coast oil spill incident,” and added, “Please be sure to include that many volunteers are still needed.”

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