Park Ji-hyun: "Even if Called a 'Runaway Locomotive,' I Wanted to Pave the Way for Party Reform" [Interview]

Park Ji-hyun: "The biggest problem is the party moving based on sentimentalism and personal relationships"
"Tried to communicate with party lawmakers but only heard 'stay quiet'"
"The 586 generation is inexperienced in listening to the people's voices; youth politics must be independent"
"There is a strong atmosphere of 'let's overlook' regarding sexual misconduct in the Democratic Party... strict measures are needed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] “I wanted to show that there are young people who can challenge vested interests. That’s why I took on the challenge of running for party leader, even though I was called a ‘reckless locomotive’ and accused of ‘only being greedy for a position.’ I wanted to pave the way, even if it was just me.”

Park Ji-hyun, former co-chair of the Emergency Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a recent phone interview with Asia Economy, “What dominates the Democratic Party is ‘double standards and fandom.’ Young politicians who are free from these influences must draw a line and become independent from vested political interests.”

Park expressed disappointment at the established politicians’ unwillingness to keep promises and their sole focus on winning the next general election and securing nominations. She also said that decision-making within the party, which is based on patronage, factions, and personal relationships, needs reform.

Recently, Park clashed with Representative Lee Jae-myung, who revealed that he personally requested her nomination for Incheon Gyeyang District. However, since Lee has a strong chance of becoming party leader, she urged him to actively pursue innovation. Referring to the 10-point innovation plan proposed by the Democratic Research Institute (including formalizing regulations on gender violence and sanctions against text-bombing), she said, “If Representative Lee becomes party leader, he must push these measures.”

Below is a Q&A with former committee chair Park Ji-hyun.

- You have been in politics for about five months. What do you see as the biggest problem with established politicians?

▲ The party operates based on patronage and personal relationships, and there is a reluctance to keep promises. They speak grandly, but I rarely saw politicians whose actions matched their words. Politics is about making a better world, and that’s why you enter the National Assembly. But instead of that ‘cause,’ they seemed more interested in whether they could win the next general election or secure a nomination. The same applied to decision-making. Even in local election nominations, comments like ‘I know that person well’ were casually made in meetings. I wondered why they said such things when no one asked or cared. When assigning roles, it was more about ‘He’s served three terms and isn’t currently assigned a role, so he should do something’ rather than choosing someone who would do the job well.

- Weren’t you appointed as an emergency committee chair to reform and renew these aspects?

▲ I thought so too. I have no ties that would trigger patronage or personal favoritism within the party. I agreed with the call to cut off patronage and thoroughly pursue reform and renewal, so I took the position. But when I actually tried, many desperately blocked me.

- There were also criticisms that you lacked the political skill to push reforms through communication and persuasion within the party.

▲ I did try to persuade. I met many people whenever I could and communicated for hours on the phone. But most told me, ‘Don’t do anything, just stay quiet.’ When everyone says ‘stay quiet,’ what more communication is possible?

- There was criticism that you lacked influence within the party to even borrow a communication channel.

▲ I entered politics in March. It’s been less than six months. I kept saying that vested interests must be relinquished, but who would lend me a communication channel? Also, I criticized Representative Lee Jae-myung, who is the most likely to become party leader. I thought it would be burdensome for him to stand beside me. It would be good to have influence, but I don’t think it’s strange not to have it. Now, I plan to calmly meet each lawmaker one by one, explain my intentions, and I think more will understand.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Co-Chairperson of the Democratic Party, Park Ji-hyun, is declaring her candidacy for party leader in front of the main gate of the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

- You were a recruited talent of Lee Jae-myung but have become known as a ‘sharpshooter’ against him. Some say you are trying to raise your profile and only doing politics for yourself.

▲ I want to ask if there is any politician who doesn’t do their own politics but only others’ politics. Many lawmakers, including the ‘97 Group,’ opposed Representative Lee’s run for party leader. I hope you ask them if they are doing their own politics. I didn’t only criticize Representative Lee; I also criticized President Yoon Seok-youl and former party leader Lee Jun-seok when there were problems. Yet, singling me out and saying I’m doing ‘self-politics’ is unreasonable.

- How do you view Representative Lee’s declaration that there will be “no factional politics or nomination massacres”?

▲ I hope it turns out that way. Factional politics is basically divided by personal relationships without differences in values or philosophy. I think it no longer has any meaning. And I believe he won’t carry out nomination massacres either. Many say the Democratic Party lost power because it expelled those with different colors over the past five years. But if he wants to avoid factional politics and unify, Representative Lee must first break away from fandom.

- The ‘586 (people in their 50s, university class of the 80s, born in the 60s) retirement theory’ faced much resistance within the party.

▲ I felt the 586 generation was immature in listening to the voices of diverse citizens. I believe the activist generation has almost completed its tasks. The Democratic Party needs new values and philosophy going forward, and when asked if the 586 generation can present that, I think not. The issues young people face include climate crisis, anti-discrimination laws, and pension reform. I think young people need to step up and help establish new values for the Democratic Party on these practical issues.

- Many Democratic Party lawmakers are over 50, so there are calls for nominations by generation.

▲ I agree. I understand that about 70 lawmakers in our party belong to the 586 generation. Currently, voters in their 20s and 30s make up over 30%, but I understand that lawmakers in the Democratic Party in that age group are less than 4%. So I think many young people need to enter the National Assembly. But being young in age alone is useless. If young lawmakers just conform to existing vested interests rather than voicing youth concerns, it’s meaningless. I think it’s important what kind of young people enter.

Former Co-Chair of the Democratic Party Emergency Committee Park Ji-hyun is entering the Democratic Party's party leader and supreme council member preliminary candidate registration office set up in the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 18th, holding the "Party Leader Election (Preliminary) Candidate Registration Documents." On this day, Park's registration documents were rejected. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Former Co-Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park Ji-hyun, is entering the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader and supreme council member preliminary candidate registration office set up in the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 18th, holding the "Party Leader Election (Preliminary) Candidate Registration Documents." On this day, Park's registration documents were rejected. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

- There have been continuous sexual misconduct incidents in the party. What do you think is the cause?

▲ That part is truly frustrating. My position was that sexual misconduct cases should be handled according to common sense. But I faced all kinds of attacks and criticism. I don’t think the party sees these issues as serious problems. Because the party has not established proper measures, such incidents keep happening. Our party has almost collapsed due to repeated sexual crimes. Therefore, we should be stricter than anyone else in dealing with sexual crimes, but there is a strong atmosphere of ‘let’s overlook it.’ If I hadn’t been the emergency committee chair, the expulsion of Representative Park Wan-joo or the disciplinary action against Representative Choi Kang-wook would have just fizzled out.

- The Inha University sexual crime case has also revealed digital sexual crime suspicions. As someone who first brought the Nth Room case to light through the ‘Chase Squad Bulkkot’ activities, you must have a different perspective on this case.

▲ It’s really hard that nothing changes even though such incidents keep happening. There are only words about ‘respecting women as individuals and creating a safe society for women,’ but social consensus is still lacking. The case itself is shocking, but secondary victimization against the victim in online communities is worsening. The full details of the case have not yet been clarified, but I think everyone must feel responsible. The president said there is no structural gender discrimination, judges give light punishments for sexual crimes, and the media reports sensationally. All must take responsibility and change.

- How do you view the 10 innovation tasks recently announced by the Democratic Research Institute?

▲ I think it clearly presented the path our party must take. If a new party leader takes office and adopts only the proposals from the institute, the Democratic Party can be innovated. But this is not the first time such a report has come out. I think it wasn’t done because of a lack of will, not because they didn’t know the problems. If Representative Lee becomes party leader, he must implement these parts proposed by the institute.

- You wrote that young politicians must declare independence. What does that mean?

▲ There have been many young politicians in the Democratic Party, but their voices were unheard. They entered the party because seniors pulled them in. They only moved within the hands of established politicians and rarely acted in ways that would alienate them. I ran for party leadership and fought to open a path for youth politics. I thought if someone paved the way, it would no longer be difficult to challenge vested interests. There are many young party members in the Democratic Party, and I plan to meet and talk with them to find what young people can do together.

- What are your future plans? Are you considering founding a new party?

▲ I have no plans to found a new party. I plan to focus on writing a book for a while and take some rest. I will consider the next general election slowly.

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