[Full Text] Park Hong-geun, Negotiation Group Representative Speech "The Problem is President Yoon"

13th National Assembly Negotiation Group Leaders' Speech
"Kim Geon-hee 'People's Special Prosecutor' Must Be Enforced"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration on the 13th during the National Assembly negotiation group representative speech, stating that the government has committed 'five major disasters' across livelihood and economy, diplomacy, security, safety, and personnel, and said, "The problem is President Yoon Suk-yeol."

In particular, Floor Leader Park pointed out the prosecution's 'biased investigation' against Representative Lee and Mrs. Kim, declaring, "The Democratic Party will definitely push through a 'special public prosecutor' regarding the stock manipulation allegations against Mrs. Kim Geon-hee according to the will of the people."

Below is the full text of Floor Leader Park's opening remarks in the negotiation group representative speech.

Honorable citizens, overseas Koreans!

Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, senior and fellow lawmakers!

I am Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Before starting my speech,

I extend my deepest condolences to the people of T?rkiye and Syria

who suffered numerous casualties due to the earthquake.

I have been engaged in legislative activities for 12 years, but my time as floor leader is even more special.

Entrusted with a heavier responsibility than ever,

though in opposition, as the majority party in the National Assembly,

I have continuously negotiated with the ruling party.

Therefore, I especially wanted to talk about

‘our political awareness of problems and the future’ in this negotiation group representative speech.

Politics that ignores the 40% who do not vote and the 30% who blindly vote for the opposition,

and only focuses on the remaining 30%,

politics that alienates the majority of the people and pursues extreme confrontation just to gain the support of its base,

I reflected on this Korean politics myself,

and intended to present practical alternatives.

However, the situation we face now

makes even this awareness seem too complacent.

The lives of the people are driven to a steep cliff edge,

and urgent matters pile up.

Therefore, I cannot help but talk about the reality our people face.

"While running a business, my debts increased. I am sorry and sorry again for causing trouble."

This is the content of a suicide note left by a mother and daughter in their 70s and 40s who recently ended their lives due to financial hardship.

Despite struggling with debt, they never missed rent or utility payments,

and worried about the remaining contract period until their last moment.

But in the end, they gave up on life.

In August and November last year, other mother-daughter pairs in Suwon and Seoul Sinchon also took their lives.

They tried to live diligently, but the heavy burden of life

crushed them forever.

I deeply question whether our politics has even slightly eased the burden they bore.

Even at this moment, many people are struggling to live amid high prices and hardship,

and when I think about what politics is doing,

I feel ‘sorry and sorry again.’

1. The worst leadership, the worst incompetent government

"We need to consider President Yoon's position at least once."

This was said recently by someone called the president's mentor.

I want to say differently.

"The president should consider the people's position even once."

He makes mistakes himself and insists the people are wrong,

makes errors but never apologizes,

and even when close aides err, he only covers for them without punishment.

In less than a year, for nine months straight,

disasters have occurred one after another,

and the people have not had a single day of peace of mind.

In February 2023, the ‘hope and future’ of the Republic of Korea disappeared.

A ‘developing country overnight’ where people must give up daily to survive,

this is the overall assessment of the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s past nine months.

‘Livelihood and economic disaster’ caused by complacency and incompetence amid a complex economic crisis,

‘diplomatic disaster’ damaging national interests and dignity through vulgar language and gaffes,

‘security disaster’ with holes such as the Gangneung stray bullet accident and North Korean drone intrusion,

‘safety disaster’ that ultimately sacrificed 159 precious lives,

and yet still ‘personnel disaster’ marked by unfairness and irrationality favoring personal connections,

the five major disasters of the Yoon Suk-yeol government are ongoing.

The bigger problem is that they try to overcome incompetence and irresponsibility

with ‘arrogant governance.’

The promises of ‘fairness and common sense,’ ‘law and principle’ made to the people were mere packaging.

Politics is missing, society is divided, and freedom is threatened.

The crisis in Korea, the problem is President Yoon Suk-yeol.

■ Government incompetence brings suffering to the people

January’s trade deficit was $12.7 billion, the largest ever.

As exports, the core growth engine, falter,

South Korea, a country that lives on exports, faces the prospect of ranking last in economic growth among 12 major Asian countries this year.

From the start of the new government, the complex economic crisis was the most serious problem.

Yet the government held its first countermeasure meeting only after two months.

It was only a so-called ‘emergency’ meeting in name,

leaving minefield-like issues untouched,

and listing only vague mid- to long-term measures.

Even when the bond market froze due to the Legoland incident triggered by Kim Jin-tae,

the president was nowhere to be seen.

High inflation above 5% persisted for nine months since May last year,

and its impact has disrupted many aspects of people’s lives.

Youths breaking their savings because living expenses are unaffordable despite cutting back,

office workers starting convenience store deliveries after work,

self-employed people, already struggling from COVID-19, pushed to the brink again amid rising interest rates.

Following January, this month the entire nation faced a ‘heating bill bomb.’

Those living in apartments or equipped facilities are somewhat better off.

The older the house with poor insulation,

the more unimaginable the heating costs.

Bus, subway, and taxi fare hikes continue endlessly.

Real wages have been negative for eight consecutive months.

The ant hell where the vulnerable become more vulnerable,

this is South Korea in 2023.

Yet the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s first response to the heating bill bomb was to blame the previous administration.

Corporate tax cuts and support for ultra-rich conglomerates

were accelerated as if in a speed race,

but for issues directly related to people’s livelihoods, they say “there are no fundamental measures.”

In times of crisis, presidential leadership is crucial.

Even during the IMF foreign exchange crisis,

the late President Kim Dae-jung demonstrated leadership in uniting the people.

He gathered the hearts of the people as one,

overcame the crisis, and created an opportunity for national transformation.

Now, we do not even expect President Yoon Suk-yeol to reach President Kim Dae-jung’s level of leadership.

We ask that he promptly review the Democratic Party’s proposed ‘30 trillion won emergency livelihood project’

and ‘7.2 trillion won energy price support fund.’

Saving people’s livelihoods is not a matter of ruling or opposition parties.

However, the government’s political stance of postponing even scheduled party-government consultations

and refusing proposals because they come from the opposition is only despairing.

Instead of cooperation to overcome the economic crisis and leadership for national unity,

‘incompetence, ignorance, and irresponsibility’

only cause confrontational politics and division among the people.

The ‘livelihood and economic disaster’ that plunges the people into hardship,

the problem is President Yoon Suk-yeol.

■ President Yoon Suk-yeol is the main cause of Korea discount

They say security is conservative, but the current security situation is more unstable than any previous administration.

Despite the majority of the people opposing,

the government forcibly relocated the presidential office,

and the Yongsan presidential office area was penetrated helplessly by North Korean drones.

It was shocking that drones reconnoitered many parts of Seoul, designated as no-fly zones, and returned leisurely,

but imagining what would have happened if those drones intended to harm lives is terrifying.

Yet the Yoon Suk-yeol government was only busy hiding facts related to North Korea’s drone intrusion.

The president, as commander-in-chief, did not even preside over the National Security Council (NSC).

Instead, he only spewed terrible verbal bombs like ‘willing to go to war, prepared for escalation,’

raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and public anxiety.

The president’s sudden remarks about ‘nuclear armament’ were immediately denied by the U.S. the next day,

causing another diplomatic disaster.

That is not all.

Every time the president goes on a trip, the people worry about what accident might happen this time.

Following the ‘Biden-Nalimen’ vulgar language controversy,

the president’s remark that “Iran is the enemy of the UAE” continues to cause waves.

As summit diplomacy, the flower of diplomacy, is overshadowed by ‘presidential risks,’

the entire nation is on the verge of trauma.

Yet President Yoon Suk-yeol himself is shameless.

His submissive pro-Japanese diplomacy insults the entire nation.

Even as Japan revises its national security strategy to become a ‘war-capable country,’

he accepts Japan’s militarization, saying he understands it.

He denies even Supreme Court rulings,

makes absurd decisions shifting forced labor compensation responsibility from Japanese companies to Korean companies,

and claims this as a solution.

Despite concerns about imminent practical damage,

and demands from the Korean fisheries industry for government measures,

the Yoon administration has not properly protested the Fukushima radioactive water discharge issue.

The people ask, ‘Which country’s president is President Yoon?’ due to the government’s excessive pro-Japanese actions.

As the president raises tensions and conflicts,

the already difficult economy worsens.

It continuously undermines trust in the Korean economy,

deepening the Korea discount.

The ‘diplomatic and security disaster’ that endangers national security and damages national interests,

the problem is President Yoon Suk-yeol.

■ Collapse of democracy built by the people

According to a survey by The Economist,

South Korea’s democracy index in 2022 dropped by as many as eight levels.

Since 2008, South Korea had been rated as a ‘full democracy,’

but after the 2015 political scandal, it was classified as a ‘flawed democracy,’

and the democracy painstakingly regained is now threatened again.

“If a prosecutor uses investigative power for retaliation, that’s a gangster, not a prosecutor.”

Six years ago, Yoon Suk-yeol, then head of the special prosecution team for the political scandal, said this,

but after becoming president, he has changed 180 degrees.

The president privatizes prosecutorial power,

abuses it for opposition suppression and political retaliation.

Not only opposition leaders who were presidential rivals,

but also former government officials have all become investigation targets.

The prosecution leaks suspect information,

stigmatizes suspects through media play,

followed by indiscriminate raids, summons, and indictments.

The Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution, wielding omnipotent power toward predetermined conclusions,

is the ‘ultimate abuser of power.’

Political and arbitrary investigations by the prosecution run rampant,

and only the president and his family are exceptions,

enforcing ‘selective law and principle.’

In the Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution, where ‘opposition guilty, Yoon’s will innocent,’

the scales of justice are completely broken.

Dear citizens!

Since the direct election system was introduced,

South Korean presidents have met opposition leaders to discuss state affairs within as short as the inauguration day or as long as 110 days.

But President Yoon Suk-yeol has refused to talk with opposition leadership even now, after the new year.

The ruling party, reduced to a Yeouido branch office of Yongsan,

has long ignored public opinion, focusing only on ‘reading Yoon’s mind.’

The president blindly follows the idea that the legislature is a subordinate agency of the executive branch.

‘A party convention by the president, of the president, and for the president!’

The ruling party’s degenerate party convention, reduced to an outdated party leader nomination event,

is painful to watch.

At first, they ousted Lee Jun-seok, who was directly elected by the people and party members,

then pushed down former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who rose to first place in polls, by labeling her anti-Yoon.

Even Yoo Seung-min, who had high public support, declared he would not run, calling it ‘meaningless.’

Once the last candidate, Ahn Cheol-soo, disappears,

the ‘People Power Party’s Squid Game’ will be complete.

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s reign of terror, labeling not only the opposition but also his own party comrades as ‘enemies,’

is chilling.

The Yoon Suk-yeol government’s behavior threatening democracy

is the same toward the media, the ‘fourth estate,’ after the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.

Although emphasizing communication with the people, only shadows of non-communication remain.

Door-stepping disappeared after six months, producing only controversies.

He divides the media into friends and foes,

and openly retaliates against media outlets considered ‘enemies.’

Using means such as ‘National Tax Service audits, prosecution complaints, privatization, and funding cuts,’

he spares no method to control the media.

While trampling on constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press,

he only shouts ‘freedom’ in words.

Whose freedom is President Yoon’s freedom?

Last week, a current prosecutor was appointed as an aide to the Minister of Education.

Is there no talent in South Korea except prosecutors?

They say ‘personnel is everything,’ but the Yoon Suk-yeol government, caring only for prosecutors and personal connections,

has turned ‘personnel into disaster.’

They oust all disliked people and unconditionally protect their own.

Regarding police officers at the superintendent level who opposed the establishment of the police bureau last year,

the Yoon government carried out massive retaliatory personnel moves.

Reviving the police bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, reversing 30 years of history, is serious,

promoting the police bureau chief suspected of being a mole at high speed,

and disciplining police chiefs who attended meetings.

The prosecution, which has written the history of so-called ‘prosecutorial chaos’ from chief prosecutors’ meetings to ordinary prosecutors’ meetings,

frequently expresses collective opinions,

while the police are suppressed for meeting only once.

Is collective expression of opinion a privilege only allowed to the prosecution?

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who failed to take responsibility as the minister in charge of disaster safety despite not protecting 159 precious lives,

and President Yoon Suk-yeol, who refused repeated dismissal demands from bereaved families and the public,

do we still have a state now?

Is the Republic of Korea truly a democratic republic where the people are the owners?

2. The president’s leadership must change

President Yoon Suk-yeol is not the ‘representative of the people,’

but still acts as the ‘leader of prosecutors.’

He is trapped in infallible arbitrariness, ignoring even the people’s demands,

consistently protecting his own and maintaining authoritarianism under ‘prosecutorial supremacy.’

The sense of privilege from his prosecutor days has not changed at all.

The president must change.

President Yoon must abandon non-communication and arrogance,

and pursue communication and harmony.

He must practice politics, not unilateral domination.

■ Respect the legislature, the National Assembly

The president’s disregard for the National Assembly has gone too far.

Recall the budget process last year.

Before the full review even began,

the president was busy threatening with ‘quasi-budget’ talk.

Budget review is clearly the National Assembly’s legal authority,

but the government and ruling party, following detailed instructions from the Yongsan presidential office,

could neither do this nor that and missed the legal deadline by a long time.

Even when the National Assembly passed a ministerial dismissal recommendation reflecting the people’s will,

the president immediately vetoed it.

Even when the impeachment motion against Minister Lee Sang-min, supported by the majority, passed,

the president distorted it as majority tyranny.

The president cannot dominate the National Assembly.

‘Denying the National Assembly’ is ‘abandoning parliamentarism.’

Recognizing the opposition, the ruling party, and the legislature is the start of political recovery.

■ Dialogue with the opposition, political partners, is necessary

“To prevent leaders from errors and misjudgments,

meet aliens from a different world than yourself.”

Experts say this is a condition for good leadership.

But President Yoon Suk-yeol neither talks nor persuades the opposition,

and says he cannot meet the opposition despite being told to meet aliens. Does that make sense?

Moreover, the opposition and ruling parties, competing for better politics to win the people’s choice,

are partners for cooperation, not ‘enemies.’

He must put aside old grudges from the presidential race and excuses like ‘cannot meet because they are suspects like the prosecutor general,’

and extend a hand to seek direct cooperation to overcome the crisis.

■ Stop the party factionalization that destroys party democracy

“How can the president and party leader candidates be on equal footing?”

The president’s chief political secretary’s remark shocked the entire nation.

Each member of the National Assembly is an independent constitutional institution elected by the people, not the president’s subordinate.

The relationship between the president and ruling party leader should be complementary and cooperative,

not vertical and unilateral.

Yet the idea of seating a puppet leader to manipulate a political party

cannot be tolerated in a democratic society.

Stop the president’s interference in party affairs,

treating the ruling party like a marble in his pocket, immediately.

■ Prosecution investigation ignoring public common sense and judicial justice

While the prosecution spares no effort in investigating the opposition and suppressing political opponents,

it shrinks only in front of Mrs. Kim Geon-hee.

They even reopen cases where the opposition leader was decided to be ‘not indicted,’

but remain indifferent to the stock manipulation allegations against Mrs. Kim despite new evidence.

Recently, a ruling declared former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, a former prosecutor, not guilty of ‘accepting 5 billion won in bribes.’

Where has the ‘fairness and common sense’ that the president repeatedly claimed gone?

Judicial justice is collapsing overnight.

The first trial verdict in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case was a result of a poor prosecution investigation and a hesitant court.

Mrs. Kim’s name appeared over 200 times in the indictment and over 300 times during the trial,

but the prosecution never summoned her even once.

The court called it a ‘failed market manipulation’ and gave suspended sentences to all accomplices.

The presidential office, as if waiting, rushed to say that the statute of limitations for accomplices had expired, so Mrs. Kim’s case was closed,

quickly granting her a ‘self-exoneration.’

The prosecution, court, and presidential office have united to save Mrs. Kim.

Who is the president?

Does Mrs. Kim also enjoy immunity from prosecution?

Is Mrs. Kim inviolable even if guilty?

Even after October 21, 2010, when the court recognized the statute of limitations,

there is abundant suspicion of Mrs. Kim’s involvement in stock manipulation.

Not just as a simple intermediary, but direct involvement in collusive trading and stock manipulation has been revealed.

It is time to restore broken judicial justice through an unreserved investigation.

The only remaining path is a special prosecutor.

The Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution, which has denied the constitutional spirit of ‘all citizens are equal before the law’ in Article 11,

is no longer qualified.

The public overwhelmingly supports introducing a special prosecutor for Mrs. Kim.

The Democratic Party will definitely push through a ‘special public prosecutor’ regarding the stock manipulation allegations against Mrs. Kim Geon-hee according to the will of the people.

■ The president must be the president of all the people

The president must embrace the livelihoods in crisis

and listen to the voices of marginalized citizens.

He must look at all the people

and embrace even those with different opinions.

He must meet labor unions, farmers, people with disabilities, and small business owners.

But the Yoon Suk-yeol government, responding harshly to workers’ cries for survival,

considers workers and unions as ‘enemies.’

Workers and unions are also citizens.

The president should recognize them as partners for dialogue

and as companions to overcome the economic crisis together.

He should meet the bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy directly, apologize, and soothe their wounds.

To prevent tragic disasters from happening again in Korea,

the president must take the lead in establishing an independent investigative body as requested by the bereaved families.

“Only those who change themselves can lead change. I will change first.”

I remember this statement made by President Yoon during his candidacy.

Now it is time to change.

It is time to properly establish presidential leadership.

If President Yoon abandons arrogance and arrogance and finds his place,

the National Assembly will actively cooperate in state affairs.

3. National Assembly innovation and South Korea’s new challenge

Our National Assembly must also innovate by self-sacrifice.

■ Accelerate the second advancement of the National Assembly

Last July, the ruling and opposition parties formed a special committee to discuss political reform and National Assembly advancement,

but no progress has been made yet.

We must overcome the drawbacks of the winner-takes-all presidential system

and achieve reform of the power structure and electoral system that represent the diverse voices of the people proportionally to the votes received.

We must prevent the Legislation and Judiciary Committee from overstepping its authority,

and amend the National Assembly Act promptly so that each standing committee legislates based on the conscience and conviction of its members, not party leadership instructions.

The National Assembly’s budget and settlement system, criticized annually as ‘hasty review,’ also urgently needs improvement.

We should make the Budget and Accounts Special Committee permanent

and greatly strengthen its expertise.

It is time to boldly change the National Assembly’s decision-making method.

Currently, if one party or a minority strongly opposes,

urgent livelihood legislation or important national agenda legislation

is indefinitely delayed and criticized as a ‘plant assembly.’

We must overhaul systems such as agenda adjustment to resolve disagreements.

For bills and policy issues with clear disputes,

we should guarantee sufficient deliberation and public discussion,

but if differences remain unresolved,

we must accept and respect the majority opinion, the principle of democracy.

The reality where the formation of the National Assembly every two years becomes an obstacle to its operation

must also be corrected now.

By clearly stipulating procedures in the National Assembly Act regarding the election of the Speaker and the composition of committees including standing committee chairs,

we should eliminate unnecessary controversies and public distrust caused by delays in formation.

■ Achieve economic democracy through livelihood legislation

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us for over three years,

deepening polarization.

The vulnerable, barely surviving on universal welfare and minimum wage,

are now threatened by the economic crisis.

Economic polarization has also deepened.

The average asset gap between the top and bottom 20% households in 2022 was 64 times,

the largest ever recorded.

Self-employed and freight workers suffered greatly from high oil prices,

but oil companies enjoyed record-high bonuses.

Disposable income of small business owners and leveraged office workers has clearly decreased due to high interest rates,

but the four major financial groups earned nearly 16 trillion won in record net profits from increased interest income.

The majority of the people support the Democratic Party’s proposal for a windfall tax to share the gains of a few conglomerates and super-rich who benefited from the COVID-19 boom,

but the government and ruling party oppose it unconditionally.

Just as the government provided massive public funds during the IMF foreign exchange crisis to revive many financial institutions,

the state must support the difficult lives of socially vulnerable groups affected by structural crises.

In December last year, the National Assembly passed the ‘delivery price linkage system’ by bipartisan agreement to promote coexistence between large and small businesses and fair market development.

We request full cooperation from the government and ruling party for legislation benefiting many ‘Eul’ in our society, including farmers, small and medium enterprises, and small business owners.

The ‘Grain Management Act’ must also be passed in the February National Assembly.

The ‘Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperative Act’ should be promptly amended to guarantee collective bargaining rights for SMEs in relations with large corporations.

We cannot delay the enactment of the ‘Online Platform Act’ to ensure fair transactions in the rapidly growing online market during the COVID-19 period.

The government’s standard freight rate system and improvement of the consignment system cannot ensure the survival of freight workers, public safety, or the coexistence and development of related industries.

Stakeholders must come together to solve these issues.

Economic democracy is not a proposal for one side.

It is a matter of living together or dying together.

We must expand the scope and targets of economic democracy through legislation,

and strengthen political responsibility.

■ South Korea must lead the decarbonized ecological civilization

Honorable citizens!

This winter’s severe cold was a direct result of the climate crisis.

Due to global warming, cold Arctic air swept in,

causing record cold waves across East Asia and large-scale casualties.

We will pay more sacrifices and costs in the future.

It is time to respond swiftly to the future that has already arrived.

Recently, the European Union (EU) announced a draft ‘Green Deal Industrial Plan.’

If solar, wind, and clean hydrogen are produced within the EU,

regulations will be greatly eased and large-scale incentives provided,

declaring a ‘European version of the IRA.’

As an export-oriented country, South Korea faces risks of huge damage not only from U.S. electric vehicle export issues but also from Europe.

Since the 1980s, free trade has rapidly shifted to new protectionism

to respond to the climate crisis and expand domestic industrial jobs.

Green technology hegemony competition is intensifying.

RE100, pledging to use 100% renewable energy for corporate power needs,

has become a core of corporate competitiveness beyond a campaign.

But only the Yoon Suk-yeol government is in a ‘different world.’

South Korea alone is retreating its renewable energy targets.

There is no solution or strategy to navigate the green technology hegemony era.

If this continues, domestic manufacturing plants will relocate to the U.S. or Europe due to renewable energy shortages,

and domestic industry and jobs will hollow out.

As the Democratic Party has already stated, we will promptly prepare a ‘Korean version of the IRA’ law,

a green industry promotion support law equivalent to the U.S. and EU.

While leveraging South Korea’s export-driven characteristics,

we will rapidly expand domestic renewable energy

and focus on fostering decarbonized green industries.

When James Watt innovated the steam engine in 1769 in Britain,

and Henry Ford mass-produced automobiles in 1908 in the U.S.,

humanity did not anticipate coal and oil would cause the climate crisis.

The world is now undergoing a great transition from the industrial revolution to the green revolution,

from carbon civilization to ecological civilization.

South Korea has grown miraculously for 70 years since liberation.

From imitation to creation, from a follower to a leader,

it has become a country with the world’s best industrial competitiveness.

If Britain and the U.S. led the carbon civilization,

South Korea must set a bold vision and meticulous action plan to lead the new decarbonized ecological civilization.

We can do it.

■ Paradigm shift needed in population policy

From 2006 to 2020, the budget spent on low birthrate measures reached a whopping 380 trillion won.

Yet during this massive spending, the low birthrate worsened.

The total fertility rate, 1.23 in 2010, dropped nearly 40% to 0.81 in 2021 over ten years.

The Yoon Suk-yeol government announced it would provide integrated child-rearing costs to parents until 2027,

but changing the amount and recipients will not be a fundamental solution.

It is time to decisively break with outdated policies and clearly shift the paradigm of population policy.

We must first raise awareness that childcare is not a benefit.

Even outside public institutions or large corporations,

both parents should be guaranteed to use parental leave and childcare leave without hesitation,

and the duration and amount of pay should be flexibly managed.

Current family regulations that do not consider diverse situations create blind spots.

France introduced the ‘civil solidarity pact’ in 1999, raising its birthrate to 2.1.

It is time to seriously discuss introducing the (Life Partner System) in Korea.

At least, we should first introduce the ‘Registered Solidarity Relationship System’ aligned with social awareness changes,

to provide minimum institutional protection in care and medical fields.

The National Assembly formed the 「Special Committee on Population Crisis」 in December last year.

We ask for bold and innovative policy alternatives with the responsibility that the population crisis is the nation’s greatest agenda, beyond partisan views.

Besides measures to raise birthrates, socioeconomic measures for the already occurring low birthrate are also necessary.

Low birthrate and population decline cause faster extinction of local areas.

Local areas must survive for South Korea to survive.

We will actively support the Special Committee on Population Crisis to prepare policies and alternatives to prevent local extinction beyond regional balanced development.

Measures for the generation living in the era of low birthrate are also urgent.

Reforming education and human resource development systems to match decreasing student numbers,

maintaining defense capabilities when enlistment resources fall below 200,000,

and active labor supply measures to increase economic participation rates to prevent labor shortages,

as well as improving job quality, must be reviewed.

Proactive measures are needed so that small and medium enterprises, self-employed, and small business owners can properly respond to changes in the domestic consumer market naturally caused by population decline.

Overcoming the population crisis is not the government’s sole responsibility,

but requires cooperation from the government, National Assembly, and all sectors of society.

The Yoon Suk-yeol government should not leave the population crisis to ‘every man for himself’ with market fundamentalism,

but work with the National Assembly to solve the serious ultra-low birthrate.

■ Peace on the Korean Peninsula is the top priority of the South Korean government

Past conservative governments achieved historic progress in inter-Korean relations,

such as the July 4th North-South Joint Statement and the adoption of the North-South Basic Agreement.

But the Yoon Suk-yeol government only talks about ‘bold initiatives,’

while inter-Korean relations have deteriorated to the worst.

The majority of the people judge the government’s North Korea policy as ‘unrealistic.’

In a divided country like South Korea, the more the president emphasizes a hardline stance toward North Korea,

the more the stock market fluctuates and blue-chip companies fail to receive proper valuation.

The economy worsens and public anxiety grows.

Reducing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula

and protecting people’s lives through progressive inter-Korean relations

are the most important duties of the South Korean president.

Whether it is the ‘Roh Tae-woo path’ or the ‘Lee Myung-bak path,’

the fate of the Korean Peninsula rests with President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Honorable citizens!

Last May, in his inaugural speech, President Yoon said,

“Anti-intellectualism, which suppresses opposing opinions by majority power,

is putting democracy at risk,

and damaging faith in democracy.”

But in the second year of the Yoon Suk-yeol government,

the president’s anti-intellectualism is pushing South Korea into crisis.

The president reigns as a ruler, not a politician,

endangering South Korean democracy.

President Yoon has abandoned the ‘difficult but necessary political path,’

and is taking the ‘easy but forbidden path of domination.’

It must be corrected now.

The Democratic Party will correct it with the people.

Just as the people built democracy on this land,

we can overcome the current crisis together with the people.

The Democratic Party will do politics that saves ‘hope and future’ with the people.

Thank you.

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