Kim Nam-guk "Lee Jun-seok has a solid 10 years of experience... Yoon Seok-yeol is uneasy"

"Yoon Seok-yeol Studies Complex Social Issues Superficially to Become President"

Kim Nam-guk, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 6th, Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed to Lee Jun-seok, a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, saying, "There are many young politicians in the opposition party to look forward to."

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Rep. Kim said, "Candidate Lee embodies the public's desire for new politics and generational change in politics."

He praised, "While there is a trend of the times, I believe it is supported by the perseverance and effort that Candidate Lee has endured through harsh storms in the political world over the past decade," adding, "The experience he has gained from dealing with various political issues and social problems is by no means trivial."

Earlier that day, Candidate Lee positively evaluated young ruling party politicians such as Rep. Kim, Rep. Jang Kyung-tae, former Supreme Council member Park Seong-min, and Supreme Council member Lee Dong-hak, saying, "The young politicians of the Democratic Party who are preparing by laying the groundwork are numerically far superior."

Regarding this, Rep. Kim also responded, "Besides Candidate Lee, there are many promising young politicians in the opposition party whom I have met," mentioning "Chairman Cheon Ha-ram, Chairman Kim Jae-seop, Emergency Committee member Kim Byung-min, and commentator Jang Ye-chan."

Candidate Lee Jun-seok, a contender for the leadership of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

He praised, "Chairman Cheon Ha-ram's every word feels sincere and truly warm. You can sense that he is a kind and good person. Chairman Kim Jae-seop criticizes reasonably and respects his opponents. Emergency Committee member Kim Byung-min has excellent foresight and the ability to see the big picture," adding, "Commentator Jang Ye-chan is so good at grasping the core of difficult issues and speaking persuasively that one might think he is a genius. Seeing such people makes me think I need to study harder and build my skills."

However, Rep. Kim downplayed former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who is considered a leading opposition presidential candidate. He said, "Looking at former Prosecutor General Yoon, who has just started studying by touring semiconductor factories, I feel uneasy," adding, "With only 10 months left before the presidency, his cramming study of complex social issues such as the economy, diplomacy, security, and education feels superficial, showing lack of preparation and ability rather than sincerity."

Furthermore, Rep. Kim said, "Even if young politicians from both ruling and opposition parties fight fiercely, there are things they must do together," pointing out, "First, they must broadly open the path for other young politicians to join. In the 19th and 20th National Assemblies, the number of 2030 young lawmakers was only in the single digits, and even though it increased in the 21st Assembly, it is still only about 4%."

He continued, "Second, they must show genuine youth politics with different content," emphasizing, "Being young in age alone does not guarantee freshness and novelty. Beyond the number that age indicates, they must lead substantial change in terms of content."

Finally, he concluded, "In short, they must show their abilities through results," and said, "It is a very difficult task, but I hope young politicians from both ruling and opposition parties start new politics together."