[Interview] Park Yong-jin: "We Can't Overcome Party Crisis with 'Lee Jae-myung Does It'... Must Break Away from Hypocrisy and Penny-wise Pound-foolish"

"I Jaemyung Must Provide Evidence That He Can Win Next Time"
"Cutoff Will Be a Choice for Party Convention Success and Democratic Party Change"
Renewal Atmosphere Weakens: "Complacency Means Death... We Must Not Hesitate to Change"

Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Naju-seok and Park Jun-i] "A person who loses twice in an election winning next time is no different from a student who cannot study suddenly aiming to score 100 points."

Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party running for party leader, made this evaluation of Lee Jae-myung, a fellow party member and a leading contender for party leadership. He fired a warning that Lee should not be elected to lay the groundwork for winning the next election.

In an interview with Asia Economy at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 22nd, Park criticized, "Lee only repeats 'Lee Jae-myung can do it,' but that will not overcome the party's crisis nor open a dead end." He emphasized, "Right now, it feels like anyone can easily pick up a lost wallet, but party members and party sentiment will not see it that way," adding, "We need to show grounds for winning next time."

The Democratic Party's 97 Group (members born in the 1970s, who entered university in the 1990s) leadership candidates recently discussed unification of candidates. Park expressed support for unification with other leadership candidates against Lee. He said, "There is little time to form unification before the cut-off, and there may be many difficulties, but we need to reach a basic agreement on unification, unify around the person who advances (to the main election), and create a support system for those who do not advance."

Regarding the goal of unification, he said, "Other candidates will agree that the Democratic Party must change and build leadership capable of winning the next general election," adding, "We must concretely declare a clear break from the politics of double standards, factionalism, toxic fandom politics, progressive old-guard attitudes, selective justice, and convenience-oriented thinking that have existed in the Democratic Party so far." To this end, he mentioned, "It is necessary to move in a direction that fulfills promises made to the people and raises the party's moral and political standards."

About the first hurdle of the party leader election, the cut-off on the 28th, he said, "I believe the central committee members will strategically judge who is the card to attract attention at the party convention and who can lead the Democratic Party's change," adding, "I believe they will not choose based on past ties or personal relationships, so Park Yong-jin, who has no faction, can be the protagonist of an upset."

Regarding the weakening atmosphere of party reform after the local elections, Park said, "I want to say 'If you let your guard down, you die,'" adding, "People do not support the Democratic Party because the Yoon Seok-youl government is a mess. If we refuse innovation and hesitate to change, we will lose."

Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Below is a Q&A session.

- You have never belonged to a faction and have always been classified as an outsider. Why have you taken this path?

▲You could say I was lazy in building a base within the party and engaging in internal politics. Intentional laziness(?), something like that. As a first-term lawmaker, I aimed to do politics that solve specific problems, using budgetary and legislative powers to find concrete tasks where change was needed. I focused on tasks that could bring change, such as not just talking about chaebol reform as an image but addressing how to resolve circular shareholding structures, creating institutional devices to prevent chaebol families from pursuing private interests at the expense of corporate profits, preparing specific applications and taxation plans for the Real Name Financial Transaction Act, and enacting the Kindergarten Three Laws. Instead of joining factions or getting close to influential politicians, I believe this was a diligent effort to change people's lives. However, this changed during the presidential election. Until then, I expressed my position through principled statements, but now I think I have become a leader asking others to follow my plans. About 70-80% of Park Yong-jin's politics is devoted to building this foundation and gathering comrades.

- After the local election defeat, calls for party reform increased, but as President Yoon Seok-youl's approval rating falls, the demand for reform within the party seems to weaken.

▲I want to say, "If you let your guard down, you die." This is the moment to decide whether to remain a party relying on windfall benefits or to become a party that truly reflects the people's hearts. If we let our guard down and hesitate to change here, we will lose again. Going into this party convention with the mindset of 'It will be Lee Jae-myung anyway' is like knowingly walking into a dead end. People do not support the Democratic Party just because the Yoon Seok-youl government is a mess. If we refuse innovation and hesitate to change, we will lose the election.

- The Democratic Party suffered consecutive defeats in last year's by-elections, this year's presidential election, and local elections. What was the problem?

▲The public's expectations for the Democratic Party collapsed into disappointment, and public sentiment turned away. Failures in policy were significant, but attitude problems were also serious. Attitudes of double standards, convenience-oriented attitudes that disregard procedural democracy because 'I am right,' choices that violate principles such as 'they made satellite parties, so we did too,' and other such behaviors accumulated considerably. The failure of real estate policy was painful, but seeing people who themselves secured a house in Gangnam, enjoyed asset growth, and chose their homes over the Blue House, how do you think the public viewed that? The progressive old-guard attitude also played a major role in alienating public sentiment.

- Can Park Yong-jin's Democratic Party change?

▲I aim to be a morally and politically proud party leader. If Park Yong-jin becomes party leader, it will be accepted as a sign that the Democratic Party has changed. What better signal is there than Park Yong-jin, who has thought differently, becoming party leader? The idea that leadership cannot be exercised without factions is nonsense. I believe the party can be run based on public sentiment and common sense. Park Yong-jin becoming party leader will be a groundbreaking event showing the path to victory and survival for the Democratic Party.

- Some within the party mentioned that new hegemony is being created during the process of revising the party convention rules.

▲I was disappointed to see candidates calculating advantages and disadvantages. I wondered if the Democratic Party is still not sufficiently hurt despite the presidential and local election defeats. If left unchecked, it seems it will become a stage for factional conflict and power struggles. That is why I am struggling now. If the three who pass the cut-off are decided by faction, it will be a disgrace for me and truly a disgrace for the party.

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