From Yeo Presidential Candidates to Real Estate, Park Won-soon, and Constitutional Amendment... Kim Jong-in: "We Will Build the Foundation for a 100-Year Governing Party" (Comprehensive)

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, answered various questions about Korean politics, ranging from opposition presidential candidates, real estate issues, the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's case, North Korea issues, to constitutional amendments. He raised his voice, saying, "We will lay the foundation for a ruling party that can last 100 years," pledging to lead the innovation of the United Future Party.

◆ Optimistic about next year's by-elections = On the 14th, at the KOREA PRESS CENTER during the Kwanhun Forum, Chairman Kim said, "There is a relatively optimistic aspect regarding the by-elections in April next year," adding, "Public perception related to the late Mayor Park Won-soon's death and so-called real estate issues are causing public sentiment to boil."

He said, "If the United Future Party properly understands the flow of public sentiment and devises appropriate measures to present to the citizens, it will receive considerable support," and added, "A fresh figure who can present a vision for the future should emerge as the Seoul mayoral candidate."

Regarding the late Mayor Park's case, he pointed out, "It is very clear why someone who even aspired to be a presidential candidate chose death. Having been a lawyer, he chose death to take responsibility for his honor," and criticized, "However, the Democratic Party's attitude of sanctifying it as 'Park Won-soon's merit' is against common sense."

Regarding the investigation into sexual harassment allegations, Chairman Kim said, "If we say we are thinking about the victim, then a fact-finding investigation should be conducted as normal," and emphasized, "It must be clearly explained who informed the late Mayor Park about the sexual harassment complaint filed by the victim with the police?whether the police conveyed it, or, as recent rumors suggest, the police passed it to the Blue House and then to the late Mayor Park."

◆ Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Dong-yeon, Hong Jung-wook?who among them... Yoon Seok-youl's 'ambition unknown' = Regarding opposition presidential candidates mentioned in political circles such as Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon, former lawmakers Hong Jung-wook and Jang Sung-min, he said, "I am not exactly sure whether those mentioned are seriously considering becoming presidential candidates, but I imagine some of them have such ambitions," adding, "Looking at the unfolding situation in our country, the public has a consensus on 'what kind of person should be,' and a suitable person will emerge as a presidential candidate."

He said, "There are people inside and outside the party who are moving to become president," and added, "However, no one has officially declared their candidacy yet, and assuming they will, naturally they will compete fairly to become presidential candidates."

Chairman Kim said, "Regarding the current situation in our country, the public has a consensus on what kind of person should be," and “Having experienced the COVID-19 crisis and heading toward a difficult society with deepening polarization, the key question in the next presidential election is who can resolve these issues.”

When asked if there is an intention to recruit Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl as a presidential candidate, he said, "I have not been able to accurately judge whether he has any real ambition for the presidency," adding, "Some people say he could be a presidential candidate because his approval rating is quite high in some polls, but we won't know until he steps down and makes an official statement."

◆ Real estate cannot be solved by taxes... introduce post-sale system = Regarding the government's recent real estate measures, Chairman Kim reiterated his previous claim that "real estate prices cannot be solved by taxes" and proposed the post-sale system as a new alternative. He said, "The post-sale system can prevent speculation," and explained, "The pre-sale system started in the early 1970s because savings were insufficient, so pre-sale was necessary, but now that money is accumulated, construction companies can borrow money to build and then sell after completion."

Regarding multi-homeowners within the United Future Party, he said, "If public officials judge their own stance and act based on social norms, each will handle their situation accordingly."

He also criticized the Moon administration for emphasizing justice, fairness, and equality but achieving little in practice. Chairman Kim said, "When the Moon administration launched, it brought all the good things: justice, fairness, equality. But the actual results were unrelated," adding, "Fairness was not properly achieved, justice was not realized, and although the economy emphasized inclusion, polarization deepened."

Regarding the Moon administration's prosecution reform, he said, "There are unclear points about 'how to handle the prosecution.' It seems like an attempt to make the prosecution side with them," and added, "Every time the regime changes, there is talk of reorganizing power institutions, but if the power holders are not interested, they can change themselves."

◆ Moon's fandom will collapse... will consider constitutional amendment if proposed = Regarding the solid fandom of President Moon, Chairman Kim said, "The core supporters of President Moon can be seen as those who oppose the United Future Party," adding, "They are often in their 30s and 40s, the most educated generation in Korea who have lived in prosperity."

He said, "When those people look at the Moon administration's mistakes, they think, 'At least that government gives something to the underprivileged,' whereas the United Future Party has had the perception since the Liberty Korea Party days that 'you are stingy people,'" implying that this perception must be corrected for governance.

However, he was pessimistic about whether President Moon's high approval ratings will continue, saying, "They will collapse." Chairman Kim said, "Having closely experienced Presidents Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, both lacked honesty in some sense," and "They are people who misunderstand and are deluded about what they intend to do."

Regarding whether President Moon will proceed with power structure reform before his term ends, he said, "Since they won the majority in the general election, they might still be in a state of euphoria. The possibility of power structure reform emerging now is slim," but added, "If a proposal for power structure reform comes, I am willing to actively consider it."

He expressed a preference for a parliamentary system over a dual executive system for the reform direction. He said, "I don't think there is any country in the world with a dual executive system," adding, "We should either have a presidential system or a parliamentary system."

◆ Demand North Korea act as a normal state = In response to criticism that the United Future Party's security stance is obsessed with 'anti-North Korea,' he said, "It is not blind anti-North Korea but a desire for North Korea to act as a normal state," adding, "We hope future inter-Korean relations will be normal state relations, and North Korea should comply with international law through our North Korea policy."

He continued, "The government avoids using the word 'unification' because Kim Jong-un (Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea) does not want to hear it," adding, "The constitution includes the word unification and states that 'the Republic of Korea is the territory of the Korean Peninsula and its islands,' which is contradictory. We should start from the fact that we are separate states under international law."

When asked if the United Future Party is willing to change its North Korea policy, he said, "If the North Korean government continues to exist as a separate independent state abiding by international rules and refrains from unnecessary remarks toward South Korea, the United Future Party is not opposed to cooperation with North Korea within the characteristics of the Korean people," adding, "(The anti-North sentiment) exists because North Korea has nuclear weapons and makes threatening remarks toward South Korea, but it is not opposition to the existence of the North Korean regime itself."

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

◆ United Future Party to change fundamentally like Germany’s Social Democratic Party = In his opening remarks at the Kwanhun Club forum, Chairman Kim said, "We will change the United Future Party down to its core and be reborn as a new party," adding, "Although the United Future Party has changed its name several times and made some changes to its platform and policies, it has often been criticized for only changing its 'shell,' but this time it will not be so."

He emphasized, "The goal of this innovation is to lay the foundation for a ruling party that can continue for 100 years," and added, "The German Social Democratic Party lost its core agenda to the Christian Democratic Union and was out of power for nearly 20 years, but only after launching a fundamental innovation program and changing its platform and policies was it able to achieve its goal of returning to power."

Chairman Kim said, "The way for a party to revive is simple: to read the demands of the people and the changes of the times and propose a direction one step ahead," adding, "We must be a party that leads change, not just pursues it, and that is the direction of the United Future Party's innovation."