Ahn Cheol-soo: "If the entrenched two-party structure doesn't change in the general election... the nation will split in half, leading to civil war"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Ahn Cheol-soo, the founding committee chairman of the People’s Party, predicted that if the entrenched two-party structure does not change in this general election, the people will be split in half, leading to a state akin to a civil war.

On the 16th, during the Gyeonggi Province Party founding convention opening remarks, Chairman Ahn stated, "I will make another prediction here today," and added, "If the two entrenched powers occupy the majority of seats in the National Assembly in this general election and the entrenched two-party structure does not change, three things will happen."

Referring to the earlier buzz around 'Ahn Cheol-soo’s Three Great Predictions,' he said, "First, the 21st National Assembly will be worse than the 20th National Assembly, which was considered the worst; second, the livelihood issues related to making a living will become more severe," and "third, the people will be divided in half, entering a civil war-like state reminiscent of a war, and our country will fall like some Latin American country that was once prosperous but then collapsed."

Chairman Ahn emphasized, "Is this truly the direction that the people want South Korea to go?" and added, "The People’s Party is an attempt to find new hope for our country through a new challenge because the current politics offer no future for this nation."

He continued, "We will definitely uphold the three major visions of a happy people, a fair and safe society, and politics that works properly, and push forward bold reforms to confront the entrenched powers through practical centrist politics," and "South Korea must now learn from and implement the numerous successful reform cases of advanced countries that overcame crises, and the only party that can take this bold reform path is our People’s Party."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also continued his criticism of the current government. He pointed out, "As a result of the government pushing income-led growth, last year the number of employed people increased by 300,000, and even the president came out to celebrate, but the fact that the number of employed people in their 30s and 40s?who are in their prime working and family-supporting years?decreased by about 215,000 is being swept under the rug," and "Moreover, the number of ultra-short-term workers who work less than 17 hours a week increased by 300,000, which is strangely the same number as the reported increase in employed people last year."

He said, "In the end, the increase in employed people last year?the number that was celebrated?was actually an increase in ultra-short-term public part-time jobs forcibly created with tax money," and "If these jobs had not been artificially created with tax money, there would have been no increase in employment at all. It’s not income-led growth but growth pretending to be led by taxes," he criticized.

He pointed out that the core issues are ▲the current administration’s incompetence and amateurish situational awareness ▲and the political polarization problem monopolized by outdated political forces, and raised his voice, saying, "Unfortunately, after overcoming the democratic versus anti-democratic structure, we have not evolved into an advanced political structure of progressives, centrists, and conservatives, and the democratic versus anti-democratic structure has simply transformed into a left versus right camp confrontation."