Young Leader Ham Seul-ong Targets Lee Jun-seok: "Can a Little Groom Conceive an Okdongja?"

Youth Politician Development and Nomination Quotas... Candidates Advocating 'Youth Politics'

On the afternoon of the 2nd, at the BEXCO Auditorium in Haeundae-gu, Busan, youth supreme councilor candidates and the leadership took the stage for a commemorative photo during the joint speech meeting for the election of the People Power Party's party leader and supreme council members for Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Ham Seul-ong, former Vice Chairman of the Central Youth Committee, who ran for the People Power Party’s Youth Supreme Council Member election, strongly criticized Lee Jun-seok, former Supreme Council Member of the United Future Party and a leading party presidential candidate, saying, "Can a little groom conceive an Okdongja? I am worried he will just sit on his grandfather’s lap."

On the afternoon of the 2nd, at the joint speech meeting of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam held at BEXCO Auditorium in Haeundae-gu, Busan, former Vice Chairman Ham referred to himself as "a youth supreme council member candidate with conviction who will faithfully convey the opinions of party members and the liberal faction, regardless of who holds power," and made these remarks.

The term "little groom" refers to Lee, a candidate in his 30s who recently emerged as a leading contender, interpreted as expressing concern over the urgent task of recruiting presidential candidates. The "grandfather" metaphorically refers to Kim Jong-in, former Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, whom Lee announced would serve as the presidential campaign committee chairman if he became party leader.

Ham’s speech strategy that day was "criticism." Introducing himself as "a daughter of Yeongnam," he mentioned the book "The Time of Cho Kuk," recently published by former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. He then said, "Why do the leftists act like this? Why doesn’t the leftist regime reflect on itself?" and added, "I want to analyze these people, so I am publicly seeking that book here."

Regarding the Moon Jae-in administration, he pointed out, "In 1988, the phrase that struck South Korea was 'No punishment without money, no punishment with money,' but now, when the Olympic generation is 34 years old, South Korea is 'Guilty if pro-Moon, guilty if anti-Moon.'"

Other youth supreme council member candidates presented pledges to nurture young politicians that day. The first to speak, Representative Lee Yong, pledged a "nomination quota system" and a "bonus point system" for young politicians. He also stated that young people would directly participate in candidate screening to create candidates that meet the youth’s standards.

He explained, "Young politicians are only used during elections and then ignored afterward. What they want is not many benefits but a fair platform to compete with existing politicians."

Deputy Spokesperson Hong Jong-gi also pledged to establish a "system to nurture young politicians." Hong said, "One reason our party has not been chosen over the past few years is because we neglected nurturing politicians," and argued, "We must create a platform party where anyone can be evaluated equally."

He added, "Amy Coney Barrett, who became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice last year, was nurtured by the Republican Party over the past 20 years," and explained, "Our People Power Party must now find pearls buried in the mud among the 2030 generation."

Kang Tae-rin, Vice Chairman of the Uiwang-Gwacheon Party Division, promised to establish a youth development center and organize youth groups nationwide. He said, "We will teach young people everything about politics from A to Z, from ideology, thought, and history to speech, press releases, and promotion," and pledged, "We will recruit youth from all over the country, up to 100,000."

The last speaker, Kim Yong-tae, Chairman of the Gwangmyeong Party Division, emphasized "climate change policy." He said, "I propose that conservative parties actively respond to climate change," stressing, "Climate change is an issue directly related to national security and industry."

He added, "The control tower for climate change response will be the National Security Office of the Blue House," and said, "We will promote investment in climate change technologies and actively foster new energy industries related to renewable energy." He also strongly urged the abolition of the Moon administration’s nuclear phase-out policy.

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