97 Group Generation Change Theory: "Is a Younger Age Always a New Figure? Inappropriate"
[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 27th, Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, effectively called for Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party lawmaker, not to run in the party leadership election, saying, "He should not be consumed repeatedly through short-term trading."
Park appeared on YTN Radio's "News King Park Ji-hoon" that morning and said, "It is a matter for him to decide," but added, "Long-term value management is necessary." Park emphasized, "He is an important political asset of our party," and "He should not be exhausted day by day through short-term trading." Park is a leading figure of the party's prominent 97 group (those born in the 1970s and who entered university in the 1990s) and is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the next party leader. Regarding his own candidacy for the party leadership election, Park said, "I am considering it," and added, "(The next leadership) should be a re-governing leadership with a mid- to long-term vision."
However, Park stated that he does not agree with the intra-party generational change theory led by the '97 generation.' He said, "Is it appropriate to package someone as a new figure just because they are the same age or somewhat younger?" and emphasized, "Regardless of age, it is right for someone who has spoken up when they needed to and has not backed down when they had to do their duty to represent the Democratic Party's new values and claims."
Regarding the stalemate in negotiations over the formation of the National Assembly between the ruling and opposition parties, Park criticized, "The Democratic Party made a magnanimous decision to concede the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader who broke the agreement made in the previous National Assembly, is engaging in trivial politics." On the ongoing disputes between the ruling and opposition parties over the West Sea civil servant shooting incident, he said, "Political work demonizing all incidents that occurred under the previous government is underway, and this is a serious problem," adding, "How can the ruling and opposition parties move forward if reckless politics run rampant?"
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