Kim Jong-in, Resuming the Path of 'Walking with the Underprivileged'... Will It Lead to Legislative Achievements?

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, Kang Eun-mi, Floor Leader of the Justice Party, and other participants attending the policy meeting for the prevention and avoidance of major disasters held at the National Assembly on the 10th are posing before the meeting begins. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, has once again emphasized 'walking with the vulnerable.' As the parliamentary schedule of the national audit concluded and the election phase began, it appears that he has embarked on a full-scale effort to reform the party's structure. This marks the conservative party's newfound attention to the socially vulnerable groups it had previously neglected and its interest in addressing social polarization, with legislative achievements being the key factor.

Kim Chairman's recent actions culminate in 'walking with the vulnerable.' On the 30th of last month, he invited delivery and courier workers, who are in the blind spots of employment welfare, to the National Assembly and promised to improve their working conditions. On the 5th, he launched the 'Walking with the Vulnerable Committee.' On the 10th, at a policy meeting hosted by the Yeouido Institute on 'Prevention and Avoidance of Major Industrial Accidents,' he met with bereaved families and victim groups of industrial accidents to discuss measures to eradicate industrial accidents. These are all agendas that conservative parties have been criticized for ignoring.

Since the inception of the Emergency Committee, Kim has consistently stressed that the party must become one that pays more attention to the vulnerable. Representative statements include, "The party's goal should be to focus on solving the problems of polarization and poverty gaps, which are the shadows of our society," and "When the party transforms into one that stands with and walks alongside the vulnerable, its future scope of action can broaden." He believes that if the People Power Party fails to shed its image as a 'party representing the rich,' it will no longer be given the opportunity to seize power. His remark on the 6th that "we lost the 2002 presidential election because we completely ignored the process of social polarization" supports this perception.

The key issue is whether this will lead to legislative achievements beyond slogans. The 'Walking with the Vulnerable Committee,' launched on the 5th, was established to produce tangible results rather than just slogans. Kim urged, "Please come up with many proposals on how to approach this to achieve practical outcomes," and Special Committee Member Kim Mi-ae expressed her determination, saying, "We will empower the people through legislative activities."

However, even focusing solely on industrial accidents, the People Power Party's efforts to propose bills lag behind those of the Democratic Party and the Justice Party. Following the Icheon logistics warehouse fire, the only significant bill is by Representative Park Dae-su, which bans the use of highly flammable building materials in places with fire and explosion risks and mandates prohibition of subcontracting. No bills have yet been proposed to improve the treatment of special employment workers, indicating a lack of interest.

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Kang Eun-mi, Floor Leader of the Justice Party, are attending a policy meeting on the prevention and avoidance of major disasters held at the National Assembly on the 10th, exchanging greetings. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The important point is what stance the People Power Party will take during the bill passage process. In the case of industrial accidents, there is a gap between labor unions, employers, and ruling and opposition parties over whether to emphasize prevention and protection or corporate punishment. The People Power Party has relatively represented the employers' position. If, in the process of narrowing this gap, the party is again seen as siding with employers, its previous efforts may be rendered meaningless.

However, the People Power Party leadership has shown a progressive attitude toward the Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act proposed by the Justice Party, signaling change. Floor Leader Joo Ho-young responded to reporters' questions about the possibility of policy cooperation by saying, "Efforts must be made to reduce the frequent occurrence of industrial accidents. We can discuss this with a more advanced stance." Chairman Kim also expressed bipartisan willingness, stating, "I hope all parties?the Democratic Party, People Power Party, and Justice Party in the National Assembly?work together wholeheartedly to establish the system."

At the Serious Accident Prevention meeting that day, Justice Party Representative Kang Eun-mi, who proposed the Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act, also attended, drawing attention. She urged cooperation, saying, "The reason industrial accidents do not decrease despite government efforts is that it is difficult to punish management officials with real authority," and added, "I hope this discussion does not end here but becomes an opportunity for the bill to be passed."

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