Efforts Chasing Power Half as Much Could Develop TK
"Bill for Young Generation's Hope Submitted to President"
Former Rep. Na Visits Daegu, Appeals for Support of Kim Ki-hyun
"Assemblymen Kim Young-sik and Koo Ja-geun. Today, let us expel Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won, who is here with us, and clear the past of signing the petition that aligned with power, and create good news that the younger generation of Daegu and Gyeongbuk will like. Not only the two of you but also Assemblymen Kang Dae-sik, Kim Byung-wook, Kim Seung-soo, Kim Hyung-dong, Park Hyung-soo, Yang Geum-hee, Yoon Doo-hyun, Lee In-seon, Lim Byung-heon, Jung Hee-yong, and Hong Seok-jun. Cover the mistakes of the past petition with today's petition."
Cheon Ha-ram, a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, called out the names of TK (Daegu and Gyeongbuk) region assembly members one by one at a joint speech held at Daegu EXCO on the 28th. These were the assembly members who signed the petition among first-term lawmakers to block former Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won's declaration to run for party leader. In TK, all agreed except Assemblyman Kim Yong-pan, who serves as the Daegu City Party Chair.
The petition was circulated last month after former Assemblywoman Na expressed her intention to resign from positions such as Vice-Chair of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee to run for party leader. More than half of the first-term assembly members signed it together. They criticized former Assemblywoman Na as "an intolerable hypocrite and a political fraud who should be expelled from the Republic of Korea."
They also urged former Assemblywoman Na to apologize, saying, "Have you already forgotten the failure of the previous leadership that plunged the party and government into chaos immediately after the new government was launched?" The first-term TK assembly members wrote in the petition, "We earnestly ask you to courageously apologize and walk the right path befitting a four-term senior former assembly member." At that time, former Assemblywoman Na was maintaining a leading position in the party leader candidate approval ratings, but she announced her withdrawal about a week after the petition was released.
Candidate Cheon has also revealed that one of the reasons for deciding to run for party leader was because of former Assemblywoman Na's petition. In a previous interview, Cheon said, "More than the petition itself, I felt a strong sense of crisis at the lack of self-purification regarding such behavior," adding, "Politics should be about discovering new tasks, discussing visions, and making them a reality, but inside the party, it seemed only about lining up and competing for loyalty."
On this day, Candidate Cheon again pointed out the petition incident by first-term assembly members and proposed, "Wouldn't you write a petition together with me today, urging the president for a stronger reshoring bill that brings jobs back to Daegu and Gyeongbuk and gives hope once again to the younger generation?" He suggested, "Let's cover the petition with a petition."
At a meeting with reporters after the speech, Candidate Cheon criticized, "Among the 21st National Assembly members, there are no principled lawmakers," and said, "After a thorough reshuffle, they are sent to Yeouido to do work that benefits the region, but they don't think about the region's future and become lackeys of power, signing Na Kyung-won's petition." He further explained, "If these people, who are party assembly members, put even half the effort into chasing power, youth would not feel a future (vision) and the city would not fall into a consumer city. This is not a personal character defamation but a criticism of the behavior of lining up to power and signing unjust petitions instead of properly taking care of the region's future vision."
Candidate Cheon also criticized the incompetence of Daegu and Gyeongbuk assembly members. He said, "The public sentiment in Daegu and Gyeongbuk points out the self-preservationism of Daegu and Gyeongbuk assembly members more than the power struggle of Yoon Hae-kwan and the immorality of Lee Jae-myung." He added, "People say that if I declare a complete reshuffle of Daegu and Gyeongbuk assembly members, my approval rating will rise by 10%. Although reshuffling is not always the answer, the public opinion that if it cannot be fixed, it should be replaced is rising and cannot be avoided."
He continued, "Do not obsess over the name Park Chung-hee but reflect on why people like President Park Chung-hee," and asked, "When the Daegu and Gyeongbuk new airport was named Park Chung-hee Airport, if its utilization rate is low like Muan Airport, who will take responsibility for that disgrace?" He also said, "I do not tie thread around the eye of a needle," and added, "When Gumi becomes a reshoring special zone and once again becomes the mecca of industry, I will proudly name the Daegu and Gyeongbuk new airport Park Chung-hee Airport."
Meanwhile, on the same day, former Assemblywoman Na broke her silence and visited Daegu. After her withdrawal announcement, this was her first official activity, meeting with candidate Kim Ki-hyun near Gwanghwamun to support him.
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