"If You Don't Listen, Disciplinary Action and Warning Letters... This Kind of Politics Must Change"… Founding Party's Kim Tae-seop's Determination

"Is the Third Zone Difficult? Someone Has to Move"
"Politics That Expresses One's Own Voice Is Needed, Leadership Must Change"

Former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop held the founding initiators' meeting for the new party 'Saeroun Seontaek' (New Choice) on the 19th, officially beginning preparations for the party's establishment. Addressing skepticism about whether a third political force can realistically succeed in a domestic political environment dominated by two major parties, Geum said, "That's why I am running," and raised his voice, saying, "Someone has to take action."

On the 20th, Geum appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show' and said, "Even politicians say, 'Can we go on like this?' when we meet, but no one actually takes action," adding, "We look very weak right now, having just held the initiators' meeting and going through the party establishment process to respond to elections, which cannot be compared to existing parties, but at some point, many might gather around this party," expressing hope.

He said, "'Is this the time for ideological battles?' I sometimes wonder, but if the only place to go to work in the morning is that party, wouldn't you go there? So creating this (third political force) is really important," adding, "I am playing the role of a primer."

Former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop is giving a greeting speech at the founding promoters' meeting of the 'New Choice' party held at the Hi Seoul Youth Hostel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 19th. 2023.9.19 [Image source=Yonhap News]

Geum also criticized both ruling and opposition parties regarding the ongoing extreme confrontations in politics, including the hunger strike by Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Geum said, "There are many criticisms of Lee's hunger strike, but the ultimate responsibility for leading the political situation and the greater responsibility lies with the ruling party," and pointed out, "It is strange that President Yoon Seok-youl has not met with the opposition leader even once after a year and a half since his inauguration."

He said, "The political situation is deadlocked because the ruling party keeps requesting arrest warrants for the leader of the main opposition party, and the Minister of Justice speaks almost in a blaming tone," adding, "There is much criticism that the Democratic Party made someone with such personal issues their party leader, wasting the party and the National Assembly as a shield, but the ruling party must handle all of this."

Regarding the vote on the arrest motion for Lee Jae-myung, he argued, "If it were me, I would say, 'Please pass the vote, and don't argue about it; I will go and take responsibility,' and that is the attitude of a leader." He added that the internal issues within the Democratic Party surrounding Lee's judicial risks "are continuously accumulating, so politicians will deeply consider them."

To change the two-party centered political system, "leadership must change," and a political culture where people can express their own voices must be established, he emphasized. He said, "Among the ruling party and Yongsan (the Presidential Office), the only person who can speak as they think is the president," and added, "Even during the Moon Jae-in administration, appointing someone who forged documents as Minister of Justice was against common sense, but only a very few Democratic Party lawmakers spoke out saying 'That should not happen.'"

He continued, "'I understand your thoughts, but shouldn't you still support the president?' This heavy culture, along with disciplinary actions, warnings, and threats to end political careers, goes back and forth," adding, "Creating a framework where opinions like 'This cannot continue' can be expressed is the (Saeroun Seontaek) election strategy."

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