Former Jeonnam Education Superintendent Candidate Kim Dae-jung, "I am conservative? That's nonsense"

‘Former President Kim Dae-jung is a Red’ Logic and Its Striking Resemblance

Kim Dae-jung, Preliminary Candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Kim Dae-jung, a preliminary candidate for Jeonnam Superintendent of Education, strongly opposed allegations from the camp of preliminary candidate Jang Seok-woong regarding support for Kim Dae-jung by the People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party.

On the 9th, candidate Kim issued a statement saying, “They have dragged the vulgar color debate of the 1970s into the education community that should be discussing 21st-century future education,” and added, “I want to ask the residents whether such a candidate is qualified as a leader.”

Candidate Kim criticized, “After muddying the waters of the superintendent election with an old progressive debate, they have now brought up an absurd conservative frame,” and said, “If former President Kim Dae-jung suffered hardships due to the color debate labeling him a ‘communist,’ now they are unjustly applying a conservative frame to me.”

He continued, “I served as a Mokpo city council member belonging to the New Politics National Conference, founded by former President Kim Dae-jung, the predecessor of the Democratic Party, and I ran for the National Assembly as a candidate of the Uri Party, where former President Roh Moo-hyun was active. I am a former dismissed teacher from the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU),” and questioned, “How can someone who is progressive to the core be considered conservative? Provide a convincing explanation.”

Furthermore, he stated, “Most of the volunteers in my camp are former Democratic Party members,” and added, “Since the superintendent election cannot officially endorse political parties, I have endured quietly and conducted a calm election with the feeling of Hong Gil-dong, who could not call his father ‘father.’”

He then strongly protested, saying, “I have been active in the Democratic Party, and the atmosphere in my camp is entirely Democratic, yet they are engaging in a color debate by mentioning a representative of an already expelled organization,” and continued, “Preliminary candidate Jang Seok-woong, who has brought up not only the ‘old progressive’ debate but also the ‘conservative’ debate, then what color do you represent? Aren’t you ashamed as a future education candidate?”

Candidate Kim Dae-jung concluded, “Preliminary candidate Jang Seok-woong has clearly shown that without the color debate, he is an empty candidate with no pledges or policies,” and demanded, “Let’s conduct the election with policies and pledges for the residents and education.”

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