Sim Sang-jung and Ahn Cheol-soo: "Two-party politics is a deep-rooted problem... We must recommend the joint special investigation"

Secret Meeting in Yeouido, Seoul on the 6th

Sim Sang-jung, the Justice Party presidential candidate, is entering a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 6th to meet Ahn Cheol-soo, the People's Party presidential candidate. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, and Sim Sang-jung, the presidential candidate of the Justice Party, have initiated policy cooperation to overcome the two-party system centered on the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party, thus kickstarting a 'third zone alliance.' They raised their voices insisting that the recommendation of candidates for the so-called 'dual special prosecutors' should be led by the People’s Party and the Justice Party.

After their meeting on the afternoon of the 6th at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Candidate Sim stated, "We shared the recognition that the current two-party politics is a deep-rooted evil that makes the lives of our citizens difficult."

On this day, Candidates Ahn and Sim reiterated the call for dual special prosecutors. Bae Jin-kyo, the floor leader of the Justice Party, told reporters, "Before the presidential candidate registration, the truth regarding the Daejang-dong development and the allegations of prosecution request must be clarified so that no candidate involved in corruption registers, which would be an unfortunate event." He added, "The two candidates share the intention to introduce a runoff voting system and will work together on electoral reform that enables a multi-party system." The dual special prosecutors proposal was suggested by Candidate Ahn and actively agreed upon by the Justice Party. They proposed that the Justice Party and the People’s Party form a recommendation committee to select the special prosecutor candidates.

Additionally, both sides agreed that this presidential election should focus on overcoming the COVID-19 crisis. Kwon Eun-hee, the floor leader of the People’s Party, said, "The two candidates first urge the expansion of hospital beds and medical staff capable of accommodating more than 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 patients and treating over 2,000 severe cases as an urgent COVID-19 measure." She also stated, "They call for practical compensation for small business owners who have fallen into a severe crisis due to COVID-19."

They also discussed future policy agendas such as public pension reform, climate crisis response, and measures to resolve polarization and inequality. In particular, the public pension reform plan is likely to be implemented swiftly. Floor Leader Kwon said, "Regarding that matter, discussions have already taken place at the level of the floor leaders of the two parties before the candidates met." She added, "The Justice Party’s Youth Justice Party is actively discussing policies and agendas for youth, and the People’s Party’s youth cabinet working with Ahn Cheol-soo is also actively engaged in these activities. From our perspective, this seems to be the task that can be implemented most quickly."

However, they still showed a firm stance against 'unification.' When asked if there had been any talk of 'third zone unification,' Candidate Ahn drew a clear line, saying, "Not at all."

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is entering a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 6th to meet Shim Sang-jung, the presidential candidate of the Justice Party. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@