Kim Jong-in: "Dead Cross Early in President Yoon's Term Is Usually Not a Serious Situation"

"If No Contingency Plan Is Devised, Situation Will Worsen"
"All Talk of Being a Developed Country... Highest Elderly Poverty Rate, Lowest Birth Rate"

Former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, Kim Jong-in. / Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in diagnosed the so-called 'dead cross,' where negative evaluations of President Yoon Suk-yeol's national administration surpass positive evaluations, as "a situation where we must not be complacent."

In an interview with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' on the 30th, former Chairman Kim said, "According to a certain polling agency, support (positive evaluation) was only 45%, while negative evaluations exceeded 50%. The government has only been in office for about one month and 20 days, so this situation is not an ordinary serious matter."

Former Chairman Kim pointed out, "When a new government is established, the transition committee (Presidential Transition Committee) should have accurately diagnosed the situation our country faced and prepared initial countermeasures accordingly. The transition committee ended and the government was launched, but it does not seem that there is an accurate diagnosis of the situation Korea is facing."

He continued, "Without accurate countermeasures, and since none have been made, the public inevitably feels very anxious about the future. This is reflected in the public opinion polls. If we do not quickly diagnose the cause of this situation and devise recovery plans, the situation will inevitably become more difficult," he analyzed.

Regarding Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho's recent request to companies to refrain from excessive wage increases that stimulate inflation, former Chairman Kim criticized, "The free-market economy is common sense, but those who emphasize (wage restraint) as policymakers are, in my opinion, doing something wrong."

He said, "Since last year, the UN has recognized us as an advanced country, but looking at social indicators, one wonders if this is really true. The suicide rate is more than double the OECD average, the elderly poverty rate is the highest in the world, while the birth rate is the lowest globally. In such a situation of deepening polarization, how can we have any hope for the future?"

He added, "Right now, we act as if we are overly confident. Although Korea is called an advanced country, it does not have the social and political structures of an advanced country. People talk as if BTS, Squid Game, and even culture dominate the world, but especially at times like this, we need to sober up and be cautious," he emphasized.