Kim Bu-gyeom: "We must not obstruct the government just because we lost the election... Why do we always have to fight?"

"After Retirement, I Will Reflect on My Life... Also Thinking of Serving as Long as Health Permits"

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is presiding over an extraordinary Cabinet meeting held on the 6th at the Government Seoul Office to approve the contingency fund for the relocation of the presidential office, which President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is promoting.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum pointed out on the 8th, "The side that loses in an election should not obstruct (the government) by saying 'Absolutely not' or 'Not as long as we are here.'"

On the same day, Kim appeared on EBS Invitation and, when asked about the future tasks of Korean politics, said, "During the 21st National Assembly and the 20th presidential term, politicians must work together for the future of the community called the Republic of Korea. This includes constitutional amendment."

He said, "Why do we always have to fight? How long will we continue with a winner-takes-all structure?" and added, "We need to establish a framework of coexistence within ourselves, a politics of coexistence, to resolve inter-Korean relations and enable unified diplomatic responses." He continued, "It is not acceptable for only one side’s voice to be heard while the other side just obstructs behind the scenes."

When asked if there was ever a time in his political career when he felt regret or wanted to quit, Kim cited his defeat in the 2020 21st general election. In that election, Kim lost in Daegu Suseong-gap to Joo Ho-young, the candidate from the Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party).

He said, "It was when the COVID-19 outbreak had just started in Daegu two years ago during the losing election," and "we were able to provide nearly 1 trillion won in budget support to the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. In fact, the local media actively promoted that, but the citizens of Daegu did not appreciate that part."

He added, "I was also told, 'Why didn’t you sharply criticize during the Professor Cho Kuk incident?' and 'Why did you side with Cho Kuk?'" He then said, "What I felt at that time was that this was not something I could persuade people to vote for," and "I thought it was time to wrap up my political career."

When asked about his plans after stepping down as Prime Minister, Kim said, "Having been in politics for over 30 years, I have received much love and encouragement from the people, but I have lacked time to deeply reflect on my own life. I plan to take some time to look back on myself," and added, "However, as much as I have been loved, I intend to serve as long as my health permits."

He also said, "There seems to be a lack of systems to provide mentorship as a kind of windbreak for youths becoming independent from facilities," and "I have a reputation for being a 'madangbal' (a person with wide social connections), and if I connect that into a social network, more active exchanges could occur than now."

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