"I Will Return to Academia After the Presidential Election"
Jung Eun Kyung, the chief campaign committee chair of the Democratic Party, explained her decision to join the presidential campaign of Lee Jae Myung by saying, "I felt anger due to the rebellion and anxiety about the future of our children," adding, "I decided that I should help if there was anything I could do."
On May 12, during an appearance on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong Bae's Focus,' Jung said, "I never imagined, not even in my dreams, that I would become a campaign committee chair," and added, "If it weren't for the rebellion, I would never have entered politics." She explained, "During the 12·3 Martial Law, my child told me that martial law had been declared, and at first I told them to check because it must be fake news. But when I turned on the news, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was making a statement, and memories of the era of military dictatorship came back to me, making me extremely anxious."
She continued, "I thought everything would end with the impeachment of former President Yoon, but the movements of those who sympathized with the rebellion still remain within the government, prosecution, and judiciary." She added, "I came to believe that unless we change the administration through the election, the rebellion will not truly end, and even after the election, it will take significant efforts for normalization." She emphasized, "Only a change in administration will bring a definite end to the rebellion and allow our society to return to normal."
On the 7th, Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Jung Eun Kyung, the chief campaign committee chair, greeted people at Saecham Street in Jinan County, Jeonbuk, during the 'Listening Tour Through Every Alley: National Land Traverse Edition.' Photo by Yonhap News
Regarding candidate Lee, she said, "He has excellent abilities to identify the causes of current issues and to solve them," explaining, "This is because he has a wide range of experience, including serving as mayor of Seongnam, governor of Gyeonggi Province, and as a member of the National Assembly." Jung noted, "The media often portrays Lee as very cold and rough, but after spending a whole day touring sites with him recently, I found that he listens very well and has a good sense of humor."
About the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, she said, "There has been significant regression in the areas of healthcare and welfare," and added, "It was extremely frustrating." Jung criticized, "I felt that the country was regressing in every field. In a single day, they cut 5 trillion won from the research and development (R&D) budget, which destroyed the research ecosystem that is the driving force for our country's future growth. They also only increased confusion in the fields of education and healthcare." Regarding infectious disease response, she said, "A lot of budget needs to be allocated for responding to new infectious diseases, but as the COVID-19 pandemic ended, the government's attention and budget allocation have both decreased. The speed of infectious disease transmission has become much faster than before. There is a need to reconsider the issue of infectious disease response in terms of budget and policy priorities."
As for her plans after the presidential election, she stated, "I will return to academia."
She added, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare faces very difficult health issues and has much to do in terms of welfare. There are many experts there. Once the administration changes and society is normalized, I hope that both I and the people can return to our ordinary, simple, and joyful daily lives."
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