Democratic Party Ordinary Member Advances to Supreme Council Finals... Cha Seungse: "The Will of Party Members Is Party Policy"

"Connecting the Power of Party Members to Direct Democracy"
Young Talent to Lay the Foundation for Honam's Development
A 'Role-Oriented Person' Devoted to the People and the Party
"Realizing Popular Sovereignty... Gather Your Wisdom"

Seungse Cha, Director of the Citizens' School at the Gwangju Regional Committee of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, who is the only candidate from Gwangju and South Jeolla Province to advance to the finals of the Democratic Party of Korea's ordinary member Supreme Council election, stated, "I will contribute to laying the foundation for the development of the Honam region," and added, "I will connect the power of party members to direct democracy."

Seungse Cha, Director of the Citizens' School at the Gwangju Regional Committee of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation.

In an interview with our newspaper on September 2, Director Cha said, "Out of 1.15 million party members, 115 submitted applications, and 31 passed the document screening and attended interviews. Among them, I was selected as one of the 12 candidates to advance to the jury review," expressing his feelings by saying, "Anyone would be indescribably happy to have made it through such fierce competition."

Regarding the background of his candidacy, he explained, "I decided to run in order to ensure that the voices of party members, who are the true owners of the party, are reflected in the party's official decisions." He continued, "Right now, South Korea faces both the task of overcoming the aftermath of internal strife and a livelihood crisis. The power to overcome these crises comes only from the party members." He added, "I went from being an ordinary office worker to a civic activist, and served as Chief Secretary of Gwangsan-gu Office and Special Political Advisor to the Gwangju Metropolitan City, working alongside citizens and fellow party members in the field of local government. I now have an opportunity to devote myself to the people and the party. That is the reason for my candidacy."

As for what he would like to accomplish if elected, he said, "I will create online and offline circles to gather the opinions of ordinary party members," and added, "I want to establish a structure where the voices of party members are heard not only during elections but also in everyday life."

Regarding the perception of being a 'stepping stone to local elections,' he stated, "If a politician has an opportunity to take on a challenge, they should prove themselves through that challenge. Unexpectedly, the opportunity to run for the Supreme Council as an ordinary member presented itself, and I willingly took the leap," adding, "I consider myself a 'role-oriented person.' If I am given the position of Supreme Council member, I believe fulfilling that role faithfully is the way to devote myself to the people and the party."

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th of last month. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Regarding his role for Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, he said, "A special committee for the Honam region has been launched within the Democratic Party of Korea. I believe the committee will perform its role well, but if I am active at the central level, I can help lay the foundation for the development of the Honam region," and added, "I would appreciate your support if you think of it as sending even one more young talent from Honam to the central stage and utilizing them well for the region's advancement."

He emphasized, "For a long time, the logic that 'politics should be left to politicians and the people should focus on their livelihoods' has prevailed. The people and party members have only been forced to vote, without any other rights. Now, politics is no longer the exclusive domain of politicians." He continued, "Just as we entrust medical treatment to doctors and medicine to pharmacists, the outdated era of leaving politics solely to politicians must come to an end. The reason many citizens avoid politics is precisely because this kind of narrative has become internalized."

Meanwhile, Director Cha appealed, "Now, it is not just about voting. I will operate a direct democracy system so that the value of Article 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution-'All power comes from the people'-can be realized," and called on everyone to "gather your strength and wisdom."