Kim Jae-won: "I will take the lead in recruiting 'Akyun' Yoon Seok-yeol... Preventing the extension of the Moon government is the top priority"

People's Party Supreme Council Member Relay Interview with Former Lawmaker Kim Jae-won
"I will restore the rights of party members as the owners of the party"
"As the Supreme Council Member in charge of strategy, I will play a role in winning next year's presidential election"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-won. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] "I will restore the rights of party members as the owners of the party."

Former lawmaker Kim Jae-won, who is running as a candidate for the Supreme Council of the People Power Party, emphasized "restoring party members' rights" in an interview with Asia Economy. He diagnosed, "Due to the peculiarities of party politics in our country, when someone accustomed to internal party conflicts attacks the party from within, they transform into reformists and gain attention from public opinion and the media, becoming a conscience force. As they seize the party's hegemony, they keep trying to exclude party members." He added, "They want the political assets of the opposition party, but since party members dislike them, they try to drive out the party members and create a party without members."

He pointed out, "Compared to the 2019 party convention, the number of party members has decreased by 40,000," and said, "Even though there was a general election in between, the reason for the decrease in party members is that they were excluded from decision-making within the party and were only made to pay dues and act as an applause squad."

Regarding recent demands to increase the weight of opinion polls in the primary election rules, he criticized with the same logic. Former lawmaker Kim said, "It is unheard of even in elementary school class president elections to discuss rules after the candidates have stepped into the ring," and added, "This happens because the party is not being operated healthily, and a few lawmakers try to manipulate party leadership through a one-time event." He emphasized, "Reform means an election system and policy decisions that reflect the will of party members."

Kim, who served as the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House during the Park Geun-hye administration and endured various investigations and trials, said he would "take the lead in recruitment" despite his 'bad relationship' with former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. He said, "Stopping the continuation of the Moon Jae-in administration should be prioritized in terms of values," and added, "The problem is that through the Moon Jae-in government, skepticism about the value of democratic citizens and democracy itself has grown." He continued, "The competitiveness of the People Power Party's presidential candidates is insignificant," and said, "For them to become the People Power Party's presidential candidate and inherit the brand and assets of the main opposition party is either a gamble or reckless self-satisfaction." He said, "Even if former Prosecutor General Yoon does not join the party, regime change is impossible without an alliance."

Kim declared himself as the "Strategy Officer Supreme Council Member" in this party convention. He said, "Usually, during the period before the presidential election, the party leadership's most important task is to manage the presidential primary election stably and select the presidential candidate. Afterwards, the candidate forms a campaign team, and the leadership plays a supporting role, but this time is different." Kim emphasized, "This party leadership cannot win by selecting only internal candidates in this election," and said, "The party leadership must take the initiative, and unification of candidates, such as merging with Ahn Cheol-soo's party and recruiting former Prosecutor General Yoon, must become an election strategy." He said, "There may come a time when we have to worry until the presidential candidate registration day," and added, "Because of this period, I am needed as someone who has experienced various trials and the presidential election."

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