'86 Group' Choi Jae-sung Declares Retirement from Politics: "I Quit Politics as of Today"

"New Era Requires New Mission"

Choi Jae-sung, former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Choi Jae-sung, a former senior secretary for political affairs at the Blue House and one of the so-called '86 (class of the 80s, born in the 60s) group members, announced his retirement from politics on the 6th, stating, "I am quitting politics as of today."

In a post on Facebook that day, Choi said, "Although I am quitting politics, I will look for even small things that benefit the world."

He said, "I have been involved in politics for nearly 20 years. When I was involved in student activism, I wanted to create a just world. I believed that I had a historical mission to fulfill for our society and people," adding, "With the ambition to put that belief into practice, I entered politics."

He continued, "I spent a time of growth admiring the virtue, competence, and public spirit of former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun," and "I respected President Moon Jae-in's will, principles, and benevolent leadership, and shared the time of challenge. I am leaving together with the times of hardship and glory I experienced with President Moon."

Choi reflected, "I looked back on my feelings from 20 years ago when I first ran for office," and "I realized that my mission could become greed. I have decided to put down the heavy mission I have carried until now."

He also emphasized, "A new era requires a new mission," and "Politicians tend to avoid making definitive statements because leaving some room is necessary in politics. To be clear, I am no longer a politician."

Furthermore, he said, "I think I could even write a scenario for the future of the Yoon Seok-youl administration. I could also draw a map for the future of former Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung," and "The difficulties of the Democratic Party are also unfolding right before our eyes."

Finally, Choi said, "The reason I do not specifically use the word 'retirement' is because I feel too sorry to leave this extraordinary situation alone."

Meanwhile, Choi, a former president of the student council at Dongguk University, is one of the leading figures of the 86 group. He entered politics by winning the 17th general election in 2004 as a candidate of the Uri Party.

After serving four terms as a member of the National Assembly, Choi served as the party secretary-general in 2015 when President Moon was the leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, and in the 2017 presidential election, he led talent recruitment for Moon's campaign, earning him the reputation of a pro-Moon (친문) figure.

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