'Handonghun Running Mate' Jin Jong-oh: "Punishing the Deceptive Forces with Conservative Bullets"

"Will Become the Vanguard of Young Conservatives"
South Korea's Shooting Star with Three Consecutive Olympic Golds

Jin Jong-oh, a member of the People Power Party (PPP) and running mate of PPP party leader candidate Han Dong-hoon, declared his candidacy for the youth supreme council member on the 28th, stating, "We will punish the forces that deceive the people with lies and agitation using the bullets of conservatism."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office on the same day, Rep. Jin said, "We are now at a critical moment. We disappointed the people due to our mistakes and were defeated in the general election." He added, "Although we regained power with great effort, arrogance and lack of communication have angered the people, leaving us wandering in despair and darkness," emphasizing, "Despite the ruthless forces that deny the Republic of Korea and manipulate the National Assembly, we remain helpless."

He said, "The party needs young conservatives. Young conservatives are not just conservatives who are young in age," adding, "Young conservatives are those who reassure the people with attractive policies and alternatives," and urged, "Trust me and entrust me. I will be the vanguard of young conservatives."

After his candidacy declaration, when asked by reporters how candidate Han proposed the running mate partnership, Rep. Jin replied, "Candidate Han contacted me and said he wanted to work together and mentioned the running mate. We had no special exchanges before, only greetings. There was no political talk other than the running mate proposal." A representative from Rep. Jin’s side added, "The running mate partnership was formed because candidate Han and Rep. Jin shared a consensus on youth policies."

Regarding criticism that this takes opportunities away from young politicians outside the National Assembly, he emphasized, "Does it really matter whether one is inside or outside the Assembly? What matters is not for the party, but what has been done for the youth of the Republic of Korea. Such divisiveness is something that needs to be reconsidered." Rep. Jin explained his key youth pledge: "I hope all companies adopt flexible and adaptable working hours. Personal time is very important for the MZ generation, and by reducing commuting time through telecommuting, they can save time to spend with their families. I want to focus on such pledges."

Rep. Jin joined the People Power Party through talent recruitment when candidate Han took office as the emergency committee chairman in February. He entered the National Assembly as number 4 on the PPP’s satellite party for proportional representation, Future of the People, in the 22nd general election. Starting with a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Rep. Jin won gold medals at the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio Olympics, achieving the first-ever three consecutive Olympic championships in shooting history. He also declared support for President Yoon Seok-youl in the last presidential election.