Kwon Ji-woong: "The Democratic Party didn't lose narrowly but ultimately couldn't win... Must shed the 'double standards' image"

Kwon Ji-woong, Emergency Committee Member, "This Presidential Election Is Clearly a Defeat"
Proposal for Enacting Anti-Discrimination Law, "Change Must Come Through Local Elections"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Kwon Ji-woong, Emergency Response Committee member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on the 14th, "This local election should be used as an opportunity to persuade the enactment of the Equality Act, not as an excuse to delay it."

Committee member Kwon particularly commented on the recent presidential election results, saying, "The Democratic Party clearly lost. It was not a narrow defeat, but ultimately a failure to win," and emphasized, "While we appreciate the narrow margin and the support of 16 million citizens, this should not be a justification for the Democratic Party to change only slightly. We must create change starting from the reflection that we could be wrong."

He added, "We must create a local election that breaks away from the entrenched ruling party and the image of double standards through continuous political change."

Kwon, who served as the youth election committee chairman during the last presidential election campaign, said at the first Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, "The Democratic Party must intensify discussions on the enactment of the Equality Act." He pointed out, "The Equality Act, also called the Anti-Discrimination Act, was a pledge of then-presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun in 2002 and was first proposed as the Anti-Discrimination Act in 2007. Twenty years have passed since discussions began, and under the state's passive response, discrimination and inequality in our society have deepened."

He continued, "During the period without the Equality Act, we lost Sergeant Byeon Hee-soo in the military, and frequently faced situations where dormitories and rental housing were easily denied by administrative authorities. In a society where it is difficult to openly reveal one's region of origin, family structure, gender identity, or political opinions, we have neglected numerous forms of discrimination. Discrimination naturally solidified into inequality."

Kwon emphasized, "Nine out of ten citizens say this law is necessary," and added, "Former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and President Moon Jae-in have also expressed the need for the enactment of the Equality Act." He urged, "Members of the National Assembly, local councilors, and candidates, please join together. The persuasion process will not be easy, but the majority of citizens will praise the enactment of the Equality Act."

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