Kim Jongin Evaluates June 3 Presidential Election Results
"Lee's 'Star Moment' Was During December 3 Martial Law"
"People Power Party Failed to Sever Ties with Yoon"
Kim Jongin, former emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, dismissed claims of "Lee Jae Myung dictatorship" circulating in some political circles as "excessive concern," stating, "Given the maturity of the Korean people, any administration that tries to rule dictatorially simply because it controls the legislature will inevitably face a backlash." On June 4, in an interview with KBS 1 Radio's "Jeonggyeok Sisa," Kim shared his thoughts on Lee Jae Myung's presidential victory and offered advice regarding the future of the new administration.
In September last year, Lee Jae Myung, then leader of the Democratic Party, and Kim Jong In, former emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, met and greeted each other at a restaurant in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group
Regarding President Lee's vote share, Kim stated, "President Lee needs to assess the situation objectively. In reality, more than half of the people did not support President Lee Jae Myung, so the most important task is how to embrace those people now." He continued, "The lack of national unity stems from the deepening economic polarization and the ever-widening gap between the rich and poor. Without efforts to narrow this economic divide, even slightly, national unity will never be achieved."
He added, "Overcoming internal strife should be approached in a very limited sense. If it is pursued too broadly, it could ultimately be seen as retribution." Kim continued, "I believe President Lee is fully aware of this. The most important thing is to engage in dialogue with the public, especially with those who oppose him. Approaches like that of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who labeled dissenters as 'anti-state forces' and divided the public, will not succeed."
He went on to say, "I think President Lee's 'star moment' came with the December 3 Martial Law. The unimaginable idea of former President Yoon attempting to use the military for political purposes has led to the current situation in South Korean politics."
The appearance of Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, and Kim Jongin, chairman of the nomination management committee, during last year's general election. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Regarding the People Power Party's defeat in the presidential election, Kim said, "There is a risk that the party could be reduced to a regional party in Yeongnam. They must work hard to regain nationwide support." On candidate Kim Moonsoo, he commented, "The margin was about 2.8 million votes, the largest after former President Lee Myungbak and candidate Chung Dongyoung. They lost an election without any justification, and if they do not reflect on the meaning of this defeat and come to their senses, there will be no hope for the future."
Kim also stated, "The People Power Party failed to completely sever ties with former President Yoon, and candidate Kim also took an ambiguous stance on this issue. I believed that only former leader Han Donghoon clearly had the legitimacy to be the party's presidential candidate in this election, but the People Power Party did not accept this, which led to the current situation."
On Lee Junseok, the Reform New Party candidate who failed to secure a double-digit vote share, Kim said, "I think Lee ran in the presidential election to once again solidify his political base for the future. Losing his image due to his final verbal gaffe significantly hindered his ability to reach double-digit support." He added, "It's unfortunate that he did not achieve a double-digit percentage, but winning nearly 8% may serve as a stepping stone to building his political base." Kim served as chairman of the Reform New Party's nomination management committee during last year's general election.
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