[Interview with Yeo Jeon-dae] Jo Kyung-tae "I Will Relinquish the Party Leader's Nomination Rights"

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Editor's NoteThe candidate lineup for the People Power Party's March 8 party convention has been finalized. Since this convention will elect the party leader and supreme council members who will lead the party in next year's general parliamentary elections, the competition among party leadership candidates has been fierce from the start. Asia Economy introduces the pledges and visions of each candidate who is striving to enter the ruling party's leadership.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Jo Kyung-tae, a candidate running for the People Power Party's March 8 party leader election, is known in his constituency as 'Uri Kyung-tae' and 'Jo Jin-sil.' He has been elected five consecutive times in Busan Saha-gu since the 17th National Assembly, earning these nicknames by faithfully fulfilling his campaign promises each election. Candidate Jo humbly stated, "Working to earn the trust of the people is simply what a politician should do."

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 8th, Candidate Jo said, "After serving as a member of the National Assembly for 21 years, I feel politicians hold too many vested interests," and declared that if he becomes party leader, he will relinquish the nomination rights.

Candidate Jo emphasized, "Isn't it true that party leaders have enjoyed vested interests through exercising nomination rights?" and added, "We need to establish a transparent nomination system." He explained, "Nomination rights should be returned to the people and party members," and said, "We could have a 100% open primary or a public participation-type election with 50% party members and 50% public opinion polls." He further stated, "The key is to prevent the party leader from exercising nomination rights," adding, "The party leader should act as a messenger and coordinator, playing a unifying role."

Jokyungtae, People Power Party presidential candidate Photo by Yonhap News

When asked if this was a somewhat radical pledge, Candidate Jo responded, "This is already widely implemented abroad," and criticized, "A party leader who divides the party, creates factions, and seeks vested interests is a backward model."

Regarding the internal and external situations surrounding the party leader election, he sharply criticized, calling it "very wrong." Candidate Jo said, "If we are the ruling party, we should focus more on people's livelihoods, but right now, it's only disappointing," and criticized, "Both the political sphere and the government should step up to heal the people's pain, but both are doing nothing." About the petition incident where first-term lawmakers urged former lawmaker Na Kyung-won not to run for party leader, he said, "This has never happened in the history of political parties," and emphasized, "First-term lawmakers are somewhat excessive, so the number of lawmakers should be reduced."

Candidate Jo argues that heating cost support through supplementary budgets and the establishment of a price stabilization committee are necessary to support the working-class economy. He said, "People call it populism, but when you hear from the field, heating costs have really increased a lot," and added, "People are suffering, so the government and political sphere should respond flexibly, judging this as an emergency situation rather than just simple welfare."

People Power Party leadership candidate Assemblyman Cho Kyung-tae is expressing his thoughts after completing his registration as a party leader candidate at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Regarding party-government relations, he said, "They should be maintained healthily," and added, "One-sided party-government consultations where one side leads are not appropriate. It should be a relationship of balance and cooperation." On the recent controversy over 'Yoonshim' (President Yoon Seok-youl's intentions), which has exacerbated internal party conflicts, he said, "It imposes a political burden on the president," and stated, "I hope politicians rely on their own abilities."

Candidate Jo travels alone by train and bus to meet party members without any aides. He emphasizes that through the 'Three Abolitions Political Reform'?abolishing proportional representation, abolishing parliamentary immunity from arrest, and abolishing state subsidies to political parties?South Korea's political level should be raised to that of advanced countries. He said, "I will strive to lead the 'Three Abolitions Political Reform' to victory in the general election," and added, "I will do my best to ensure that the political sphere, especially the People Power Party, changes and reforms first."