Kim Jong-in: "The People Power Party's presidential election is no different from the Democratic Party during Cho Kuk's time"

CBS Radio Kim Hyun-jung's News Show Interview
"Party-Government Unity? Orderly Does Not Guarantee Party Stability"

Former People Power Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in criticized on the 15th, saying, "Looking at the behavior of the lawmakers at the recent People Power Party convention, there is no difference from the Cho Kuk incident during the Moon Jae-in administration," and added, "Once they become the ruling party, they turn into a group that lives only by looking at the president's face."

Kim appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that day and pointed out, "They have become a form that moves according to the president's will," and "there is no independence at all."

Kim referred to the fact that during the last party convention, 50 first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party signed a joint petition condemning former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who was considering running for party leader. He said, "Fifty first-term lawmakers circulated a joint petition to intimidate a candidate who intended to run for party leader and made the absurd claim that 'the party's will is the people's will,'" adding, "It will be difficult to place great hope on next year's general election under these circumstances."

Kim said, "I think the first-term lawmakers acted out of fear of being excluded from next year's nominations," but also pointed out, "It is very difficult for the party to function normally in this way."

He predicted that if the People Power Party fails to secure a majority of seats in next year's general election, President Yoon Suk-yeol will face a lame-duck period. Kim explained, "Next year's general election is a midterm evaluation of the second year of the administration, so if they fail to secure a majority, it means the people have judged the administration."

Former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, Kim Jong-in. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the recently formed new leadership of the People Power Party, Kim evaluated, "I don't know if it was because there were no capable people, but from the general public's perspective, it can only be seen as entirely composed of pro-Yoon (pro-President Yoon Suk-yeol) groups." He added, "It shows a reflection of the president's intentions, and I am skeptical about whether it will be effective in next year's general election."

Kim criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling party leadership's emphasis on 'party-government unity,' saying, "A party is never stable just because it moves in unison without any opposition." He explained, "A political group should show an exchange of opinions back and forth, and just because it moves in unison under one command does not mean the party is stable."

When the host asked, "There was a message from the People Power Party leadership that they will embrace lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo but abandon former leader Lee Jun-seok," Kim sharply criticized, "The very act of saying that shows a lack of capability as a democratic party."

Kim said, "It is true that public expectations for the People Power Party rose after the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election when the Lee Jun-seok leadership was established. Wasn't he the first 30-something leader in decades?"

He continued, "It is also true that Lee Jun-seok had some political immaturity, which caused some noise while serving as leader, but it is also true that he contributed to the presidential election in his own way. We need to consider whether making a decision to reject and exclude him unconditionally helps the People Power Party."

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