Jo Kyung-tae: "Even if we win the presidential election, with a minority government, someone who knows the Democratic Party well must become the leader"

People Power Party Leadership Candidate Relay Interview ⑤ Assemblyman Jo Kyung-tae
Highlights Consistency Between Words and Actions
"Must Ease Youth Entrepreneurship Fears"

Assemblyman Jo Kyung-tae of the People Power Party. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Park Jun-i] "Even if the People Power Party wins the presidential election next year, it will be a minority government. Ultimately, the opposition party leader must be a politician who knows the Democratic Party of Korea best."

Jo Kyung-tae, a 53-year-old lawmaker who challenged the People Power Party leadership race, presented his high understanding of the Democratic Party as a competitive advantage, saying "Know thy enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated." He spent 20 years as a member of the Democratic Party and was elected three times (17th to 19th National Assembly) in Busan alone. After leaving the party in 2016 and joining the Saenuri Party, the predecessor of the People Power Party, he won two more times. Although in his early 50s, he is a five-term lawmaker.

He said, "The Democratic Party is an unattractive party because of the strong pro-Moon Jae-in hegemonic faction," and predicted, "The People Power Party is a more rational party than the Democratic Party, so with some reform, it can become a governing party." Having long criticized President Moon Jae-in, he evaluated, "I thought he was incompetent and unfair due to hegemonic thinking, and that turned out to be true."

Jo emphasized 'consistency between words and actions' as his strength. He cited proposing a full investigation of lawmakers during the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) employee speculation scandal and breaking the silence within the party to raise issues during the case of lawmaker Song Eon-seok, who left the party after assaulting a party official. He said, "People are disappointed in politics where words and actions differ," and added, "I will make the People Power Party more honest and a party that keeps its promises."

Regarding the opposition party's policy direction, Jo said, "I want to break the framework of conservative and progressive ideologies," and "I will approach from a practical perspective rather than ideology." Introducing the case of Israel, a startup powerhouse, in relation to the 20s and 30s generation, Jo emphasized, "We need to help young people overcome their fear of starting businesses and create jobs."

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