Kim Kyung-soo: "Han Dong-hoon, Running for President Without Apology Is Shameless"

"Anti-Far-Right Coalition Needed to Restore Democracy"
"Those Responsible for the Martial Law Incident Must Apologize to the People"
"Different Direction from Lee Nak-yeon... Integration Is Difficult"

Former Governor of Gyeongnam Province Kim Kyung-soo criticized former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, saying, "If he runs in the presidential election without apologizing to the people, it would be shameless."

On the 4th, Kim appeared on the YouTube broadcast 'Maebul Show' and made these remarks. Kim said, "The far-right forces are on the rise, and their scale is growing more than expected," adding, "To overcome the increased far-right forces and restore democracy in the Republic of Korea, an anti-far-right coalition is necessary." He stated, "We must isolate the far-right forces on one side and condemn the far-right together with all forces opposing them." He continued, "Those responsible for the martial law incident, impeachment, and early presidential election must sincerely apologize to the people and promise to sever ties with the far-right," adding, "If the people accept their apology, cooperation might be possible."

Former Governor Kim Kyung-soo of Gyeongnam Province. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

When asked whether integration with former leader Han is possible, Kim responded, "No one knows what will happen in the future. Given the behavior shown so far, it is certainly difficult to work together." He further criticized, "Han should rather apologize to the people for the current situation," and said, "If he runs in the presidential election without an apology, it would be shameless." Additionally, Kim emphasized, "Based on his actions so far, it is difficult for Han to join us," and "Whether he can sever ties with the far-right after regime change depends on him."

Regarding Lee Nak-yeon, Senior Advisor of the New Future Democratic Party, Kim said, "He has gone too far." He explained, "We are talking about integration, but the senior advisor is talking about exclusion," and drew a line by saying, "Currently, the directions are different, so integration is difficult." Furthermore, about Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, Kim said, "Will he integrate into the Democratic Party? During elections, they are competitors, and it remains to be seen whether he will join the anti-far-right coalition after regime change."

Kim also shared his thoughts on constitutional amendment discussions. He said, "I believe our party's official stance is not to start constitutional amendment discussions until before impeachment," adding, "We should focus on impeachment. Ending the internal conflict is the most important." Lastly, he noted, "It took 41 days from the start to the completion of the 1987 constitutional amendment discussions," and added, "Sixty days is not a short period."