Kim Hyuncheol: "People Power Party Must Be Dissolved After Presidential Election" [Soh Jongseop's Sookterview]

"The People Power Party Has Become a 'TK Jaminryeon' and 'Old Minjeong Party'"
"Reformist Conservatives Must Unite for Conservative Realignment"
"Kim Moonsoo-Lee Junseok Unification Is Meaningless"

Kim Hyuncheol, Chairman of the Kim Youngsam Presidential Memorial Foundation, appeared on the Asia Economy YouTube channel 'AK Radio.' The interview was conducted at the Kim Youngsam Presidential Memorial Foundation in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, at 3:00 p.m. on May 20. Chairman Kim delivered strong criticism, stating, "The People Power Party is no longer a conservative party, but merely a gathering of reactionary forces." He predicted, "After the presidential election, a realignment of the conservative bloc is inevitable."

How have you been recently?

I've been busy. First of all, I am focusing on commemorative projects for my father (former President Kim Youngsam, YS). I have also compiled two books summarizing the reform achievements of the civilian government. In addition, at the foundation level, we are preparing to nurture young politicians through a political academy format.

How do you view the overall situation in the current conservative political sphere?

The 1990 merger of three parties (Democratic Liberal Party, Reunification Democratic Party, and New Democratic Republican Party) was an event that created a new momentum for conservative politics. The reformist conservatives tempered the reactionary forces. YS's three-party merger and the creation of the civilian government marked the grand unification of the conservatives and, with the reformist conservatives at the center, ended more than 30 years of military rule for the first time. He entered the wolves' den and caught the wolf. Through a historic grand compromise with moderate military forces, the three-party merger was achieved, which became the cornerstone of the civilian government. Afterward, the era of the conservative renaissance, which firmly established the liberal democratic system, began. However, now, more than 30 years later, the values of reformist conservatism have become virtually meaningless and have been abandoned by the public, with the party reduced to a 'TK Jaminryeon' (a regional party based in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area).

What about the People Power Party?

To talk about that, we need to go back. In the 2012 presidential election, candidate Park Geunhye barely defeated candidate Moon Jaein by a margin of 3%. Then, the 2016 general election became a turning point. The Democratic Party overtook the Saenuri Party by one seat to become the largest party (123 seats). If you add the 38 seats held by the People's Party, which was then an opposition party, the opposition bloc already had a majority. The mainstream political forces had already shifted by 2016. Through the 2020 and 2024 general elections, the progressive bloc further strengthened its dominance, now holding close to two-thirds of the seats. In contrast, the conservative bloc has been in decline since losing the 1997 presidential election and failing to regain power. It has reverted to the old Minjeong Party.

How do you view the prospects for the upcoming presidential election?

The playing field is already tilted.The People Power Party brought this upon itself.There is a high likelihood that Lee Jaemyung will win by a landslide. Watching the TV debates, it seems that candidate Lee is hiding his claws. I am very concerned. I wonder how he will govern... Even for the sake of checks and balances, the conservatives need to stand firm.

The People Power Party brought this upon itself?

The immediate cause is the illegal martial law driven by former President Yoon Sukyeol's delusions.Then, the subsequent actions of the People Power Party leadership were a series of missteps. They should have drawn a clear line with former President Yoon but failed to do so. I still feel that candidate Kim Moonsoo is aligned with former President Yoon. It seems there is no will to win the election.If they wanted to create a formula for victory in the presidential election, they should have strategically nominated former leader Han Donghoon as the candidate.This presidential race seems to be shaping up as Lee Jaemyung versus Yoon Sukyeol.

In that case, isn't the result obvious?

That's right. If the People Power Party had drawn a clear line with former President Yoon early during the primary, the race would not have been framed as pro-impeachment versus anti-impeachment. The very fact that it happened this way is evidence that the People Power Party did not prepare for the presidential election at all.Once Kim Moonsoo became the final candidate, the election became a foregone conclusion.Even center-right voters, not just centrists, have a very negative view of candidate Kim Moonsoo.This is a tilted election.

You posted on SNS that if the People Power Party remains in this state, it will eventually become a 'TK Jaminryeon.'

I don't think that's an exaggeration.The horizon for conservatives has become much narrower.In this situation, hasn't the party become tilted toward the Yeongnam region, especially TK? Even in TK,candidate Kim Moonsoo is not winning by an overwhelming margin.Even in the Yeongnam region, it will not be easy for the People Power Party to secure as many votes as in the past.

Why has the conservative bloc become so narrow?

It's not just the conservative party; in fact, the Democratic Party follows the same pattern.They are, so to speak, vested interests. The two are almost equal. When talking about conservatives, you cannot avoid mentioning the 'Yeongnam vested interests.' Even during President Kim Youngsam's era, the party functioned as a national party. Although its base was in Busan and Gyeongnam (PK), it was essentially a national party. However, now the People Power Party strongly exhibits the characteristics of a vested interest party centered on TK.As people from that region have entrenched themselves as reactionaries, the overall position of conservatives has become increasingly narrow.

It sounds like you are saying the People Power Party must shed its TK-centered vested interests to be reborn.

That's right. The reason I expressed support for Lee Junseok this timewas not because I thought he would necessarily win this time. I was thinking about the period after the presidential election. I expressed my support unilaterally, without any prior consultation. He was surprised and called me immediately on the day I announced my support. There are members of the People Power Party with a reformist mindset?Kim Yongtae, Kim Jaeseop, Ahn Cheolsoo, and former lawmaker Yoo Seungmin, among others. Former leader Han Donghoon is also one of them.

The People Power Party must be dismantled after the presidential election. It no longer has any reason to exist.Unless the conservatives undergo a major overhaul, it will be difficult for them to regain power.During the process of realignment, it is necessary to break the frameworks of the People Power Party and the Reform New Party, and for reform-minded conservatives to unite as one. In addition,to build a new conservatism, a large number of young and fresh politicians must enter the scene.

Do you think the People Power Party will find it difficult to survive after the presidential election?

The People Power Party is suffering from a serious illness. In this situation, it is difficult for the party to continue with any foundation. It will be difficult to be chosen by the people. That is why it must be boldly dissolved, and a new, reformist conservative party must be established.

Is there a force within the conservatives that can lead such change?

If the younger and older generations combine well, it can certainly be achieved. After this presidential election, I expect there will be a significant outpouring of such energy within the conservative camp.The desire for new politics will be expressed.

What role do you intend to play in that process?

I want to nurture young politicians and serve as a mentor.Going forward, such forces will play a major role in building a new conservatism.

What is your perspective on Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party candidate?

On the conservative side, many think of Lee Jaemyung as a politician with dangerous ideas, a radical politician, and someone with moral issues. He will be different from President Moon Jaein.This is his third run, following his campaigns in 2017 and 2022. He seems to have evolved a lot.However, judging by the behavior of the Democratic Party so far, it is a one-party dictatorship. The National Assembly is already under their control. The judiciary is also heading toward being dominated. The core of democracy is the separation of powers, but now all three branches are being controlled. This is a legal one-party dictatorship.Absolute power inevitably leads to absolute corruption.Therefore, it could become a very dangerous form of power. The danger comes not so much from Lee Jaemyung as an individual, but from the institutional framework itself, which places him in a position of absolute power. The constitutional order has already been greatly disturbed. Therefore, the spirit of the times now is political reform and the protection of constitutional order.

Both ruling and opposition candidates have pledged constitutional amendments. What are your thoughts on constitutional revision?

I do not support constitutional revision. The 1987 direct presidential election system is the most democratic constitution, as it ended military dictatorship and allowed the people to elect the president directly. For nearly 40 years, it has functioned well. The problem has been with the presidents who have operated under it?especially conservative presidents?who have failed to govern properly. In short, the problem is not with the system, but with the people in power.

Rather than constitutional revision, electoral system reform is needed first. If we switch from the single-member district system to a multi-member district system, there will not be such a huge gap between the proportion of seats and the proportion of votes. One reason we need to switch to a multi-member district system quickly is that I believe we must continue to experiment with new forms of politics, such as a multi-party system. When there was a four-party system, many bills were passed through consensus. The three-party merger also happened because parties with aligned interests came together, which greatly invigorated party politics. To change the current rigid situation, the top priority must be electoral system reform.

※Click the video to watch the full interview.

Will there be a so-called 'conservative unification' between Kim Moonsoo and Lee Junseok?

Unification only has an effect if, judging by the other candidate's approval rating, unification can lead to victory.But if the two combined still cannot beat the opposing candidate, unification is meaningless.Also,if the two do unify, there must be a synergy effect, butif, for example, 10% support Lee Junseok, perhaps about 3% might go to Kim Moonsoo?The rest could go to Lee Jaemyung, or become wasted votes, or result in abstention, so the effect of unification would be limited.Kim Moonsoo's approval rating needs to exceed 40% for unification to have any effect. There is not much time left. I do not expect any dramatic changes in the remaining period.I don't think the TV debates will be a major variable either.So, unification itself does not have much meaning right now.I hope Lee Junseok will at least secure 10%, a double-digit vote share, for the sake of the future.

I heard the foundation is holding a 10th anniversary memorial event for YS's passing.

That's right. The theme is 'Founding President Syngman Rhee, Industrialization President Park Chunghee, Democratization President Kim Youngsam, and Advancement.' The seminar topic was chosen out of a desire to achieve proper conservative unity.Until now, there were separate commemorations for President Syngman Rhee, President Park Chunghee, and President Kim Youngsam. President Park Chunghee denied President Syngman Rhee through his coup, and President Kim Youngsam was always in conflict with President Park Chunghee. Although they are all considered part of the conservative bloc, it was only in 2017 that then-leader Hong Junpyo hung photos of all three in the party headquarters. Before that, only the photos of Syngman Rhee and Park Chunghee were displayed.I was contacted and asked to provide a photo of my father, so a photo of President Kim Youngsam was hung in the headquarters.