Ryu Hojung "Lee Junseok is obsessed with competition... I do not agree with endless competition"

Rep. Lee Criticizes 'Qualification Exam' Pledge
Ryu Hojung: "Infinite Competition and Exam-Centricism Are Excessive"

Ryu Ho-jeong, Justice Party member / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Ryu Ho-jeong, a member of the Justice Party, strongly criticized Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, saying he "seems obsessed with competition." This criticism points to Lee's recent moves, such as selecting party positions through debate battles and qualification exams, which could be seen as excessive competition absolutism.

On the 21st, Ryu appeared on CBS Radio's 'Hanpan Seungbu' and responded to the host's question asking for an evaluation of Lee's actions by saying, "Regardless of working hard, I cannot agree with infinite competition and exam absolutism."

However, she added, "Inside the party, you will hear all sorts of stories related to age, experience, and seniority," and "Anyway, it seems he is working hard, so I am supporting him."

Kim Seong-hoe, director of the political research institute ThinkY, who heard Ryu's evaluation, said, "I am half defending and half critical of Lee's actions," adding, "I understand that selecting candidates through exams is problematic, but I agree with the argument that political parties should basically impose some qualification restrictions."

Regarding this, Jin Joong-kwon, former professor at Dongyang University who appeared on the same broadcast, said, "The problem is that the selection method is an exam," but also noted, "It seems problematic that there are many pathetic people who cannot even perform audits or read ledgers (in public office)."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the joint meeting of party leaders and senior lawmakers held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, during the People Power Party leadership election, Lee proposed a unique pledge emphasizing 'competition,' including selecting party positions through exams. At that time, he said, "If someone is capable, anyone should be able to participate in party activities based on their abilities, so I will introduce a competitive selection system for key party positions."

The competitive selection system he proposed includes △requiring qualifications similar to the National Competency Standards (NCS) for all public election candidates △conducting 2:2 team debate battles on specific topics for presidential candidates.

The People Power Party also held a debate battle to select spokespersons. In the 'People Power Party Debate Battle - I am a National Representative' held last month, 564 participants competed for four key party positions (2 spokespersons, 2 full-time deputy spokespersons). The competition rate far exceeded 100 to 1.

However, opposition arose within the party leadership regarding Lee's qualification exam pledge.

Kim Jae-won, a senior member of the People Power Party, appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 20th and revealed, "Lee Jun-seok proposed a 'Public Office Candidate Qualification Exam Task Force' at the Supreme Council, but almost all members opposed it," adding, "It was agreed to establish a task force to strengthen the capabilities of public office candidates."

He continued, "The composition of the National Assembly, which represents the people, should not be selected through exams by a specific class," and criticized, "If the goal is to enhance the capabilities and qualities of public office candidates, political graduate schools should be established in each provincial party office to complete courses."

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