Jo Jeonghun: "No Businessperson Criticizes Those Who Left Large Corporations to Start Their Own Businesses"

Assemblyman Jo Jeonghun, SBS Radio Interview
Refutes Criticism on Joining Ruling Party and Changing Party Affiliation

Recently, Jo Jeong-hoon, a member of the National Assembly from the Transition Era party who merged with the People Power Party, rebutted criticism that he changed his party affiliation by saying, "No entrepreneur who left a large corporation to start a business is insulted for 'changing companies twice.'"

In an interview on the SBS radio program 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' on the 26th, Jo said, "In the 70s and 80s, it was an honor to join one company, work there for 30 years, and retire with dignity. But now, if you tell young people to work at one company for 30 years, they say it's dreadful."

Jo added, "I left (the Democratic Party) to found a new party, and I struggled because I didn't want to fit into the framework of the Democratic Party. When I was with the Democratic Citizens Party, why wouldn't the Democratic Party have proposed a merger? If I had joined comfortably then, I wouldn't have formed the Democratic Citizens Party or Transition Era, and my party affiliation would have been very clear."

On the 21st, Jo Jeong-hoon, a member of the Shift for the Future party who declared a merger with the People Power Party, is taking a commemorative photo with Representative Kim Ki-hyun and others at the 'People Power Party Accompaniment Pledge Ceremony' held at the Gomdallae Cultural Welfare Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He continued, "It's not the party affiliation that matters, but the nationality. If the path Jo Jeong-hoon is taking is said to have changed, then criticism is justified. But I am a politician who is neither left nor right, who wants to lead South Korea forward and establish practical politics in our political system," he emphasized.

Regarding criticism from conservative media or the ruling party about joining the People Power Party, he responded, "Insisting on conservative purity is a path to shrinking. Although there may be some differences in nuance, what greater principle or strategy is there than the justification that people who agree with the spirit of the South Korean Constitution and the direction that South Korea must move toward the future should unite their efforts for the upcoming election and political reform?"

He expressed a negative outlook on the movement to form a new party ahead of next year's general election. Jo said, "It's not because those dreaming and striving for a third political zone lack capability, but I believe April 2024 will not be a peaceful time for the people but a very unstable crisis situation."

Jo argued, "A third political zone cannot survive in a crisis. People in crisis want capable and experienced parties to do well, not to experiment or take risks with new parties, as their minds are too unsettled."

Meanwhile, Jo joined the Democratic Party in the form of talent recruitment ahead of the 2016 general election. However, after failing to receive a nomination, he left the Democratic Party and founded Transition Era ahead of the 2020 general election.

After leaving Transition Era, he joined the Democratic Citizens Party, a satellite party of the Democratic Party, in the 2020 general election, was elected as a proportional representative, and was reinstated to Transition Era through expulsion. After the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, he showed alignment with the ruling party and joined the People Power Party on the 21st.

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