Ahn Cheol-soo: "The Essential Virtue for a President is 'Morality'... We Must Choose the Lesser Evil, Not the Worst"

The Chuseok Topic is 'Hwacheon Daeyu', Evidence of Cynicism

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 23rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party who is contemplating the timing of his presidential bid, identified 'morality' as the first virtue the next president must possess. He diagnosed that while reform and unity are possible only if a leader has morality, the current presidential race lacks moral character.

On the 23rd, Ahn held a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly and stated, "I believe now is the time when the most important virtue for a leader of the Republic of Korea must be 'integrity (온전함).'" He added, "This includes morality and sincerity."

He explained that if a leader is moral and sincere, the public can trust the predictability, consistency, and transparency of policies. Ahn said, "What our country lacks most is social capital called trust," and added, "If the president of a country leads in eroding social capital, no matter how hard the people try, it will be useless."

He also said that morality is essential for national unity and reform. He explained, "To attempt major national reforms for our children’s future, such as education reform, pension reform, and labor reform, the leader must be a clean and honest government without any moral flaws," and added, "Without morality, social grand compromise, and furthermore, national grand compromise, is impossible."

Ahn said, "During the Chuseok holiday, I spent time listening to the people’s voices while volunteering in medical services," and continued, "Many people expressed anger beyond disappointment toward the current administration. There were opinions never seen before, saying that no matter who it is, 'there must not be a president who goes to prison anymore,' reflecting demands for the moral character of a leader."

He criticized, "Above all, the resignation and cynicism of our society that have given up on the morality of leaders are more frightening," and pointed out, "It was newly proven by the fact that during Chuseok dinner tables, saying 'Do Hwacheon Daeyu' was exchanged as the highest compliment. The social atmosphere of thinking all politicians are thieves and choosing at least someone who speaks frankly and boldly is exactly the trap laid by populists."

Finally, he emphasized, "The next government must be a moral government led by a leader who is whole as a human being," and said, "It is time to stop choosing the lesser evil and start seeking the better option."

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