Sim Sang-jung: "The Long-Awaited Political Reform Collapsed in 3 Months... Apologies to the People"

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, is speaking at a press conference for the 21st general election held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 30th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 31st, Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, criticized the satellite parties for proportional representation of the Democratic Party of Korea and the United Future Party, the Deobureo Citizen Party and the Mirae Korea Party, saying, "The 30-year-long aspiration for political reform has collapsed in just three months."

On the same day, Sim appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "The competition among satellite parties will be recorded in the future democracy textbooks as the history that most regressed Korea's party politics."

He said, "As someone who pushed for electoral reform through cooperation among the four ruling and opposition parties, I feel truly disheartened. I can only apologize to the people who are watching this devastating situation," adding, "The Justice Party must win to protect political reform, and I will devote the remaining time with a strong sense of mission."

Regarding the criticism that the party's approval rating hit its lowest point in two years, he said, "I think that was the situation until early last week," and added, "Since around the time of candidate registration, when the controversy over the satellite parties' tricks peaked, there has been a rebound."

Sim said, "Until the controversy over the election coalition party arose and the Justice Party decided not to participate, many thought the Justice Party was being very stubborn in sticking to its principles," and added, "As senior figures in civil society were abandoned by the election coalition party and minority parties like the Green Party and the Future Party were all excluded, with vote lending and nomination interference occurring, voters began to understand why the Justice Party upheld its principles."

He then emphasized, "Satellite parties are unconstitutional parties," and said, "If even the Justice Party had abandoned the principles of electoral reform, the public's political disgust would have worsened."