Kim Jong-in "Managing the COVID Crisis is the Top Priority for the Next President"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Kim Jong-in, former Emergency Committee Chairman who accepted the position of General Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said on the 5th, "The most important task for the next president will be how to quickly resolve the economic devastation faced by some social classes due to the COVID-19 crisis."

On the same day, Kim met with Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, for about an hour at the Yeouido Central Party Office to discuss measures to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

After meeting with candidate Yoon, Kim told reporters this.

Kim explained, "Considering the international situation and everything else, we are at a turning point, and we need to think about whether our economy should continue in this state or undergo a different transition," adding that he discussed future policy development with candidate Yoon.

When asked whether his views conflicted with Kim Byung-joon, the Standing Election Committee Chairman's liberal economic perspective, Kim said, "Are there nationalists and liberals separately?"

He continued, "That is actually how economics distinguishes," and criticized, "Kim Byung-joon, generally, people without much common sense about the economy easily talk about market economy and pretend to be liberals."

Regarding candidate Yoon's pledge of 50 trillion won in compensation for small business losses, Kim supported it by saying, "When the nation faces a (risk) situation, it cannot be solved by conventional thinking."

Kim emphasized, "The state has the duty to protect the lives of its people," and added, "When considering what role the state should play in such risky situations, you cannot distinguish between liberals and nationalists." He further said, "You will be able to judge by observing how the election committee operates going forward."