Song Young-gil: "Yoon Seok-yeol, a lifelong prosecutor... insufficient to lead the country"

"High Praise for Park Chung-hee's Establishment of POSCO"

Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending and delivering a congratulatory speech at the launch ceremony of the Future Citizens Plaza Committee for the Great Transformation of Korea held at the National Assembly on the 4th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, on the 4th, saying, "It is insufficient to entrust a person who has spent his entire life as a prosecutor arresting and investigating people to lead not a small country but one of the world's top 10 economies."

At the launch ceremony of the 4050 Committee Religious Headquarters held at the National Assembly that day, Song said, "(A leader) must have knowledge. It cannot be achieved through last-minute cramming."

Song pointed out, "Would someone who has only been a prosecutor all his life be able to become president after just four months?" and "If a rookie prosecutor of four months is suddenly appointed as the Prosecutor General, would that person be able to lead the prosecution organization?"

Song said, "I will give one example of how changing a leader changes the fate of a country," and added, "I highly evaluate President Park Chung-hee for founding POSCO." He continued, "It was an event that laid the foundation for South Korea's economic development," and explained, "Regardless of the negative aspects of the dictatorship regime, this area is consistently evaluated positively."

Song expressed regret about the Park Geun-hye administration, saying, "It was very unfortunate that Hanjin Shipping was allowed to go bankrupt," and stated, "What the Moon Jae-in administration did well was to save Hyundai Merchant Marine so that exports could be made on time, and because of K-quarantine, South Korea became the only country in the world that properly met delivery deadlines and produced goods."

Regarding Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Song said, "Because he has experience in comprehensive administration as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, the recent debates clearly show a comparison."

In his greeting at the first seminar co-hosted by the National Assembly and the Korea Institute of Public Administration that day, Song stated, "We should actively consider the introduction of a responsible prime minister system proposed by Sim Sang-jung, the Justice Party's presidential candidate, which means appointing a prime minister recommended by the National Assembly."

Song pointed out, "The constitution grants the prime minister the right to recommend the appointment of state council members, but hasn't this right been rarely exercised? In fact, a state of constitutional violation is being left unattended," and criticized, "Everyone promises to run a cabinet-centered government and national administration, but after taking office, it often ends up being run centered on the Blue House because it is more convenient."

Song said, "A certain minister told me, 'I have no personnel authority, and since the heads of departments have already coordinated with the Blue House, the minister just needs to sign,'" and added, "If the Blue House continues to control personnel authority over senior officials and personnel of subordinate agencies, and ministers cannot even preside over personnel matters, wouldn't state council members become mere figureheads?"

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