Hong Jun-pyo "Regime Change Possible with Opposition Candidates... But Not Just Anyone Can Run the Country"

Presidential Candidate Relay Interview ⑧ Hong Jun-pyo, People Power Party Member
"We Must Establish Ourselves in the Era of Advanced Nations"
Yoon Seok-yeol, Kim Dong-yeon, and Others Must Undergo Party Verification
Candidates Claiming Fairness Era Values
Stop Talking and Reform the System
Nation Management Ability After Regime Change
Based on Extensive State Administration Experience
I Am the Right Person with Drive and Political Skills
Official Declaration of Presidential Candidacy Next Month

[Interview=Shin Beom-su, Head of Politics Department at Asia Economy; Summary by reporters Na Ju-seok and Geum Bo-ryeong] His skillful modulation of tone, shifting from raising his voice abruptly to mixing in jokes, was impressive. Although he said he was not bothered by somewhat low approval ratings, he carefully analyzed the subtle meanings behind the polls. When told that there is a saying in the public that "Yoon Seok-yeol hesitates to join the party because he is afraid of Hong Joon-pyo," he replied, "Come in and let's face off." Hong Joon-pyo, a 66-year-old member of the People Power Party and a repeat presidential candidate, confidently stated in an interview at his private office in Yeouido on the 15th, "The country was ruined during the Moon Jae-in administration, and I am the only one who can fix it." When asked what is different now compared to when he ran for president five years ago, he said, "That is for the people to judge." Hong plans to officially declare his presidential candidacy in August.

Hong Joon-pyo, Member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

- What is your vision for running?

▲ South Korea has passed through the eras of industrialization and democratization and has now entered the advanced country era. I believe it is time to establish ourselves as a 'leading advanced nation.' We need to restructure frameworks in all areas such as the state, society, taxation, diplomacy, and North Korea policy. From that perspective, I am organizing reform tasks.

- You have not stood out in opinion polls.

▲ I don't pay much attention to that. The primary must start first. The current recognition polls with a dozen or so candidates are not reliable. Polls that come out after serious debates and verifications are more trustworthy. (Hong usually ranks 4th or 5th among all candidates, 2nd or 3rd among opposition candidates, and 1st within the People Power Party.)

- Do you think regime change will happen?

▲ It should and it can. There are signs: 16 people have declared their candidacy as opposition presidential candidates. They are flocking because they believe regime change is possible.

- Among the People Power Party candidates, who do you think is competitive?

▲ Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong are competitive. There is also lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook, and lawmaker Park Jin has overwhelming competitiveness in diplomacy.

- How do you view opposition presidential candidates outside the party?

▲ Why does the media focus on Yoon Seok-yeol, Kim Dong-yeon, and Choi Jae-hyung? It is unfortunate and does not sound good. Why cling to people who served the Moon Jae-in administration? Are they trying to create a second Moon Jae-in administration? Do they think there are no suitable candidates within the party?

- Nevertheless, their approval ratings are high.

▲ Absolutely not. Do you think a third force can succeed? They must come in and compete. When a new product is released, you inspect it for defects before putting it on the market. During the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye primaries, BBK and even Pastor Choi Tae-min came up. Because of strong verification, moral issues did not have power in the main election. You must check not only the candidate's morality but also family issues. In other words, once the primary starts, the truth will be revealed. Currently, Daegu and North Gyeongsang (public sentiment) are focused on former Prosecutor General Yoon. Why is that? Because the desire for regime change is strong. In the TK region, if regime change seems possible, no one refuses. But if it seems unlikely, they quickly withdraw. It takes less than half a month. In the last presidential election, Ahn Cheol-soo's approval rating in TK rose to 60%, but it dropped below 20% in the election. The Ahn Cheol-soo phenomenon is exactly the current Yoon Seok-yeol phenomenon. Just wait and see over time.

Hong Joon-pyo, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

- Are you preparing to verify former Prosecutor General Yoon?

▲ I am neither preparing nor scheming. But I want Yoon to come into the party and face off like in 2007 (Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye primaries). I have served in public office for 39 years and have nothing to hide. I have been investigated and verified in every possible way.

- Recently, Yoon's approval rating has dropped. Why do you think that is?

▲ I don't know. But seeing how Yoon responds to negative attacks, I think it will be hard for him to get out of it.

Hong dissected the problems with Yoon's explanations regarding allegations related to his wife, pointing out flaws sentence by sentence. He said Yoon should have responded firmly, saying he would resign if the allegations were true, but he did not. The specific details are omitted. In the same vein, Hong said about Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung's way of explaining his own allegations, "It will be hard to get out; he is stuck in a swamp."

- Putting aside verifying opponents, how do you plan to increase your own approval rating?

▲ How can I teach you that strategy? Would I run for president without it?

- Other presidential candidates emphasize fairness as a value of the era, but you have not mentioned fairness much.

▲ Fairness is a minor issue. It is not the greatest value. Has fairness ever been a problem in our history? I think it is nonsense to say that is the only important topic. Take university admissions as an example. The privileged and vested interests enter through early admissions and admissions officers, while ordinary people enter through regular admissions, which is less than 20%. Is that fair? Is it fair that children of famous legal professionals easily become judges and prosecutors? Only children of high officials or conglomerates enter top law firms. Even if others have ability, they cannot get in. I did not know becoming a doctor was this easy. It is like the ancient Korean hereditary system (Eumseo) placed in modern society. The system itself is unfair, but no one thinks about fixing it. I find it ridiculous when people just talk about fairness without action. I also find the media that gets swayed by this ridiculous.

- There is an evaluation that you lack expansion as a presidential candidate due to an old image.

▲ I saw a recent poll that said Hong Joon-pyo's approval rating has risen significantly among supporters of the Democratic Party, Open Democratic Party, and Justice Party. I have debated for two and a half hours with 100 left-wing commentators before. Who in the conservative camp can debate there? I am the only one who does not lose. This is not a recent story but has been the case for 20 years. My approval rating is strong among the 20s and 30s. Rather, it is low among those over 60.

- What is the biggest difference between when you ran five years ago and now?

▲ It is inappropriate for me to say. It is important how the people see it. If they say nothing has changed in five years, then I have wasted five years.

- Coming from a humble background, you seemed to have strong resentment toward the wealthy and powerful. Why did Hong Joon-pyo, who vowed to overturn the world and stop the inheritance of poverty, become the eldest son of conservatism?

▲ That question shows a lack of understanding of conservatism. Reform is done by conservatives. Pseudo-scholars label all conservatives as reactionaries and mistakenly think progressives are moving forward. The question itself is wrong.

Hong Joon-pyo, Member of the People Power Party./Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Hong has recently been interviewed frequently by various media outlets, and the questions tend to be similar. He expressed frustration several times about the interview topics revolving around evaluations of competitors like Yoon Seok-yeol and Choi Jae-hyung, People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, and his low approval ratings. When the scheduled time was over and the atmosphere was to wrap up the interview, he sat deep in the sofa, then got up and answered his own question.

▲ Why should I become president... (silence) I have the richest experience in state affairs. I have served on almost all standing committees. To beat seasoned bureaucrats, you need to know a lot about state affairs. The Democratic Party occupies the National Assembly. Who can break through? You must break through politically. Who among the opposition candidates has that drive and political skill? People do not think about whether the country can be run after regime change. To run the country, you need boldness, drive, political skill, and the ability to communicate with both ruling and opposition parties. The Moon Jae-in administration failed because it operated only within its own camp. (Mentioning some opposition candidates) They are all excellent, but have they ever thought about whether they can run the country after regime change? I am the best.

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