Seosamsok "Will play a salt-like role adjusting to reflect voices of the people and the opposition"

Interview with Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate

Faction-Free Honam Representative
"Reform is important, but now it's about people's livelihood
Focusing on strengthening rural competitiveness"

"(Reform of the prosecution and media) is important, but right now, people's livelihoods come first. I will play the role of salt that balances the flavor by reflecting the voices of the people in the ruling party and government, as well as gathering opinions from the opposition party."

Seo Samsuk, a two-term member of the National Assembly representing Yeongnam, Muan, and Sinan, who is running for the Democratic Party of Korea's Supreme Council member election, emphasized in an interview with Asia Economy on the 20th, "If I become a Supreme Council member, I will take care of people's livelihoods with greater responsibility and meticulousness, and gather various voices like a utility pole to deliver them to the government."

Seo Sam-seok, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Seo, who served as the elected head of Muan County from the 3rd to the 5th term and succeeded in being re-elected as a lawmaker, ran with the support of re-elected or more experienced lawmakers from the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions. Following the mid-term withdrawal of Yang Hyangja, a Supreme Council member from Gwangju, Seo is effectively gaining attention as a representative figure of Honam. At the same time, he is noted for stepping back from factional conflicts. If elected as a Supreme Council member, he is expected to act as a mediator between the so-called ‘hardline pro-Moon Jae-in (Chinmunjae-in)’ faction and the ‘broad pro-Moon’ faction. Seo himself stated, "I do not belong to any specific faction," and reiterated, "It is time to move away from political issues and embrace people's livelihoods."

He also expressed his views on the reflection letter written by first-term lawmakers after the crushing defeat in the April 7 by-elections. Seo said, "It is not right to shift responsibility by pointing to a specific individual, but the voice of reflection was a sore spot that someone needed to scratch. Rather, it gave us motivation for self-reflection."

Seo believes that the Democratic Party needs to pursue the ‘three lives’ of ‘people’s livelihood, coexistence, and mutual growth’ for reform. While some discuss reform in terms of the ‘speed of prosecution and media reform,’ Seo places greater emphasis on people's livelihoods. He said, "The direction of reform is correct, but it is also true that the public's fatigue has accumulated."

Recently, Seo identified that the government's supplementary budget proposal omitted the fourth round of COVID-19 disaster relief funds for farmers, fishermen, and livestock farmers, and demanded its inclusion during the National Assembly's review stage, securing a budget of 200 billion won. He also revealed plans to focus on policies to strengthen the competitiveness of relatively vulnerable rural and fishing communities if elected as a Supreme Council member.