Kim Jong-in Foresees Collapse of 'Moon Fandom'... "Moon Lacked Integrity"

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, is delivering opening remarks at the Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, predicted the collapse of the support base, stating that "President Moon Jae-in lacks honesty."

On the 14th, at a Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Press Club, Chairman Kim said, "I have closely experienced two presidents, Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, and both lacked honesty in a certain sense."

He criticized the two presidents, saying, "They are people who misunderstand and are deluded about what they intend to do," and added, "Outwardly, a president should uphold national security, diplomacy, economy, and education. They may talk about these formally, but there is no effective practical implementation."

Currently, President Moon's approval rating is maintaining around 50%. Regarding the solid 'fandom' of President Moon, he said, "The core support base of President Moon can be seen as those who oppose the United Future Party," adding, "They are commonly in their 30s and 40s, the most educated generation in our country who have lived in prosperity."

Chairman Kim said, "Their consciousness structure has changed compared to previous generations. Their knowledge level is high and they have sufficient information, so generally, they are emotionally sensitive to inequality, unfairness, and anti-democratic issues," and continued, "When these people look at the Moon administration's mistakes, they perceive it as 'At least this government gives something to the underprivileged,' whereas the United Future Party, since the Liberty Korea Party days, has had the perception of being 'stingy people'." This implies that to gain power, this perception must first be corrected.

However, regarding whether this high approval rating will continue, he pessimistically said, "It will collapse."

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, is attending the Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 14th, waiting for the discussion to begin. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Regarding whether President Moon will proceed with a power structure reform before finishing his term, he explained, "It is time to think about how to live after completing a normal presidential term," adding, "I think he might try something like power structure reform, but since he won the majority in the general election, he might still be in a state of euphoria. The possibility of power structure reform emerging is slim at this point."

Chairman Kim stated that he is willing to actively consider proposals for power structure reform. Regarding the direction of reform, he expressed a preference for a parliamentary cabinet system over a dual executive system. He said, "I don't think there is any country in the world with a dual executive system," adding, "They will either have a presidential system or a parliamentary system."

Regarding criticism that the United Future Party's identity as a conservative party is weakening, he said, "Everyone acknowledges that the United Future Party is a conservative party. Emphasizing conservatism more will not make the party reborn," adding, "The general perception of the United Future Party is that it only protects vested interests and favors the wealthy. To change this, the party must adapt to the times by supporting the underprivileged based on low-income groups."