Kim Jong-in's 'Another Harsh Criticism'... "What Matters Is Substantial Freedom"

Direct Response to Internal Party Dissatisfaction Voices

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 3rd, Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, directly responded to internal opposition against him by saying, "You all still talk too much." Currently, within the party, there is dissatisfaction over the Kim Jong-in emergency committee aiming to be a "progressive party ahead of the liberals," with complaints that it "even denies conservative values."

On the morning of the same day, at a study meeting for first-term lawmakers held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, Chairman Kim said, "People say that Kim Jong-in, as the emergency committee chairman, is trying to erase the word 'conservative,' but I do not like the word 'conservative' itself," adding, "What I aim for after coming to the United Future Party is nothing different. The most important thing is how we realize practical freedom."

Chairman Kim emphasized, "What kind of party is a conservative party? Traditionally, in any country in the world, the most important value is freedom," and added, "The freedom that conservatives aim for must be defended to the end, but formal freedom that is only spoken about does not help at all." Regarding the introduction of basic income, Kim said, "Basic income is not that simple," and "Even if there is consensus, it is not easy to implement when securing funding is difficult."

Chairman Kim served as a lecturer at the first-term lawmakers' study meeting that day. This was the first time he met separately with first-term lawmakers since his inauguration. The first-term lawmakers' meeting was originally operated mainly by members of the Future Korea Party, and after the merger, first-term lawmakers of the United Future Party joined. In this meeting, starting with Chairman Kim this month, former election committee chairman Park Hyung-joon, former lawmaker Jung Byung-guk, and youth emergency committee members of the United Future Party are scheduled to give lectures in turn.

Meanwhile, although the Kim Jong-in emergency committee has been launched, internal party noise continues. On the 3rd, lawmaker Jang Je-won said, "The concerns we had are becoming reality. (Chairman Kim's) autocratic leadership and undemocratic perception," and criticized, "He gave orders that shake the foundation of the party without a single discussion process, and then poured out words like 'this behavior, quarrel, noise' against lawmakers who were concerned about this. A democratic party cannot be run with a monarchic leadership style where one person says 'follow me.' It only produces endless conflicts."

On the previous day, lawmaker Jang also said, "The Kim Jong-in emergency committee says not to use the words conservative, or even freedom and right-wing. Should we not even use the term reform conservative? A situation is arising where even conservative values are being denied," adding, "There are already several parties in South Korea that advocate progressivism. Creating a pseudo-democratic party or even a pseudo-justice party should not be our value orientation."