Opposition Party Leader Candidates Gathered in Honam... Everyone Says "Only Unity is the Way to Survive"

On the afternoon of the 30th, at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, Lee Jun-seok (from the left in the photo), Na Kyung-won, Joo Ho-young, Hong Moon-pyo, and Cho Kyung-tae, candidates for the People Power Party leader, are presenting their policy pledges at the joint speech event for Gwangju, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Jeju.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Candidates running in the People Power Party leadership race visited Honam and competed to emphasize "unity." The purpose is to absorb public sentiment from the Honam region, where the conservative party's base is weak, and to transform into a nationwide party in the presidential election phase.

On the afternoon of the 30th, the People Power Party held a joint speech meeting for the Gwangju, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Jeju party conventions at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju. On this day, candidates who advanced to the main round of the party leader election delivered their policy presentations following the supreme council and youth supreme council candidates.

Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who took the first turn, said, "Since announcing my candidacy for party leader, I have continuously shouted that only unity is the way to survive," adding, "We must unify all the people through regional unity, generational unity, value unity, and class unity to lay the foundation for regime change." She also declared, "A party leader confined to a region cannot succeed," and "I will intensify cooperation with Honam. After regime change, 30% of the cabinet will be from Honam."

Former lawmaker Na also emphasized opposition candidate unity in the presidential election phase. He said, "I will not start the presidential race with only the People Power Party candidate," and confidently stated, "If I become party leader, I will put all opposition candidates, including Ahn Cheol-soo, Hong Joon-pyo, Yoon Seok-youl, Choi Jae-hyung, and Kim Dong-yeon, on the People Power Party presidential train at once."

Five-term People Power Party lawmaker Joo Ho-young also said, "The goal of politics is national unity," adding, "I have a dream of Korea becoming completely one by winning the hearts of Honam and gaining support from Jeju."

He emphasized his achievements as floor leader. Joo said, "After the last general election's crushing defeat and division, I achieved integration with the proportional party, Future Korea Party," and "I was at the center of unification with Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, overcoming all difficulties in the April 7 by-elections." He stressed, "I will create a huge melting pot that blends ideology, generation, and region."

Four-term People Power Party lawmaker Hong Moon-pyo also claimed he would pay attention to marginalized classes, generations, and regions such as small business owners, youth, the elderly, and Honam. He explained that he has proposed and introduced policies such as establishing a youth office, applying a monthly 500,000 won rent subsidy retroactively for one year for self-employed and small business owners, and policies supporting the elderly.

In particular, to solve the issue of neglecting Honam, he emphasized that the proportional representation system, where party members living in the region select proportional representation candidates through voting, will be fully implemented instead of the central party deciding.

Former Future United Party supreme council member Lee Jun-seok mentioned the Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Hong Kong democratization movement, criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration for neglecting the values of democracy and human rights. He said, "I think the Moon administration is not following the path of upright democracy. We must always place democracy as an absolute value," and "Our party members must become defenders who confront destroyers of democracy both domestically and internationally."

He also announced that he would propose the introduction of the "narrow defeat system" as the party's official election system reform plan to ensure regional balanced nominations. He pointed out, "We must strive to be more recognized in Honam," and "Embarrassingly, it was revealed before the party convention that Honam party members account for only 0.8% of our party members." He added, "This is due to cowardice," explaining, "Because we could not stand up against conspiracy theories, regional disparagement, and discrimination advocated by some hardline conservatives whose voices are loud."

Finally, five-term People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae explained that politics of unity means devoting sincerity to all the people, not courting a specific region. He said, "I am an honorary citizen of Gunsan City, Jeollanam-do, for my contribution to the Saemangeum project," and "I am an honorary citizen of Jeju Province for my remarkable achievements in the altitude restriction of the Ara district in Jeju City."

He continued, "I firmly oppose courting specific regions in politics," and "Although my constituency is Saha District, Busan, as a member of the National Assembly and politician of the Republic of Korea, I have devoted sincere efforts to regions where the people are suffering and struggling. That is true national unity."

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