at an office in Seoul on the 18th. Regarding the criticism of’moderate’, former Prime Minister Chung said, “I see my appearance and talk about it, but when I look at what I actually did, that evaluation is a bit unfair.” Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]” alt=”Former Prime Minister Jeong Se-gyun is interviewing with Former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun at the office in Seoul on the 18th <한겨레>I am interviewing with. Regarding the criticism of’moderate’, former Prime Minister Jeong said, “I see my appearance and talk about it, but when I look at what I actually did, that evaluation is a bit unfair.” Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]
Let’s say we’re going to Daegu, President Moon worrying about “how are you going to come out”
Individual response to the corona in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, “We must take responsibility according to the decision”
Former President Yun’s politics is unfortunate for himself, the prosecution, and the country
The spirit of the presidential election is’response after corona’… I am confident in preparing for the future
Five years ago, during the general election in April 2016, former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun and current Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met in Jongno, Seoul. In a poll, Saenuri Party candidate Oh Se-hoon was 17.3 percentage points ahead of Democratic Party candidate Jeong Se-gyun. Candidate Jung posted the poll results on SNS and said, “Make sure to remember this number. I will prove whether this is distortion or not.” In the actual counting, candidate Oh was pressed by a big gap. As candidate Park Young-sun fell far behind Candidate Se-hoon Oh in the by-election of the mayor of Seoul, supporters of the Democratic Minister raised S&S five years ago, hoping for Park’s turnaround. Unlike five years ago, this expectation has not been realized. The defeat of the mayoral elections in Seoul and Busan accelerated personal renewal of the passport, and Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun resigned on the 16th. Prime Minister Chung, who suffered a great political defeat to Candidate Se-hoon Oh five years ago, was influenced by the swell created by his victory this time. On the afternoon of the 18th, Sunday, I met former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun. After finishing one year and three months of’corona prevention’ responsibility, he entered the presidential road in earnest, and what did he feel while watching the results of the Seoul Mayor’s by-election? 5 years ago I brought out the contents of S&S as the first question.
Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]
―You were confident that you could reverse the polls that fell behind by a large gap during the 2016 general election. What was the basis for that? What was the same and what was different from this election for the mayor of Seoul?
“Elections are important for public opinion polls and things like this, but in the end it is public sentiment, so the feeling of public sentiment is very important. At that time, when I met the voters in Jongno, I felt something, but this was too far apart from the polls, so I said confidently that I could win. But this time, the public sentiment didn’t feel that way. This time, the public sentiment of the floor is difficult, and they said this.”
― Less than five years after the unprecedented’Candlelight Revolution’, the government that assumed the candlelight government lost the election. What do you think is the reason the public sentiment has turned so much. What did the government do wrong?
“The regime was changed through the Candlelight Revolution, and the people were very excited about it. So, our government worked hard to meet those expectations. I did, but I think there is a side that didn’t fall short of that. It didn’t meet the high expectations of the people. The results of our government are obviously good, such as reform of power institutions, and the fact that the economy is relatively superior to other countries in quarantine, and so on. However, the lives of the people are still difficult, especially the real estate problem and the LH crisis, which has hurt people’s sentiment very much. In addition to that, contrary to the national expectations of those responsible for the passport, so to speak,’Narrow Nambul’, this affects the votes more. I don’t think it’s a fundamental problem, but rather the emotional part that has not won the hearts of the people. The direction is right, there are achievements, but there are also shortcomings. The re-creation of the regime is possible only after one year to make up for it. Then, I think President Moon Jae-in can become a successful president.”
―One of the most striking features of this re-election is that people in their 20s and 30s overwhelmingly supported Candidate Se-hoon Oh. There is no denying that the issue of’fairness’ comes into play here. The younger generation who seemed to go together in the value of’fair justice, equality’ and the Moon Jae-in administration seem to be in considerable conflict now.
“I think President Moon made a lot of effort to meet the expectations of such a young generation. Actually it is. However, the standards for fairness in the younger generation have risen tremendously. The standards are much higher now than the old standards. The values have also changed a lot, and there are aspects that (the government and ruling party) have not been able to catch up with. Now, I think we need to make more efforts to be together in this part of the changed values and standards of the new generation.”
Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]
―When I was the chairman of the National Assembly (June 2016 to May 2018), the cleaning workers in the National Assembly who were in service were converted into regular workers for the first time. Some say this as the greatest achievement of the National Assembly Speaker Jeong Sye-gyun. However, as seen in the incident of Incheon International Airport Corporation (Inguk-gong) last year, the transition from non-regular workers to regular workers is sometimes seen as an unfair case among the younger generation. How should we address this dilemma?
“Even if the policy is in the right direction, we must communicate enough. We need to promote policies while building a consensus. If sufficient preparation and insufficient consensus are created in advance, even the best policy can undermine its essence and become less accepting. When I became regular workers in the National Assembly, I negotiated several times and even voted in the union. I also met the Korean Federation of Trade Unions, a higher level organization, if negotiations with the union were not working well. I was the chairman of the opposition party at that time, and I met a lot to get the cooperation of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Blue House, and the Saenuri Party lawmakers. We must resolve difficult conflicts with such devotion.”
―I wonder why you paid so much attention and effort to the issue of non-regular workers in the National Assembly.
“The quality of employment of Korean workers needs to be improved. Cleaning is something you should continue to do as long as the office building exists. Then there is no reason to have them as non-regular workers. Of course, there are areas where non-regular workers are required. Voluntary part-time, seasonal workers, and sometimes such non-regular workers aren’t necessarily bad. But if you always have to worry about employment insecurity, you have to change it.”
―Do you think that the reality that it is difficult to get good jobs is the main reason why the younger generation puts a lot of emphasis on’fairness’?
“That may be part of it, but it must be said that our young people’s consciousness has advanced. You don’t just stick to your interests, you think you have to think about what’s right and what’s wrong. So these things of unfairness, inequality and denial are not well tolerated… , I think that Korea is the value that the younger generation can have in the process of going to an advanced country, and I think it is right for the older generation to make an effort to respect and accept those values.”
I am most regretful that I could not reduce the pain of self-employed and small business owners.
As a politician, the career of former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun is truly gorgeous. He served as the president of the student council of Korea University and an executive at a large company (Ssangyong), and has never lost an election while serving as a member of the 6th National Assembly. The two party leaders, the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Energy, the National Assembly Speaker and the Prime Minister, have never done anything except the President. Rather, it acts as a weakness for former Prime Minister Chung. Even though he had gone through such key positions, he did not make a strong impression on the public. Even former Prime Minister Chung cannot be unaware of this. So I emphasized the point of being’strong’ several times, but my tone is not aggressive at all. The opposition party and the conservative media’s political offensive momentarily revealed their intense feelings, but the voice did not rise.
―Thanks to the three most meaningful things out of that brilliant career, what would you choose?
“First, I am the President of Korea University Student Association. In fact, I’ve heard a lot that people who do politics need to be wild, but I think that’s not going to be enough. Originally, my personality is so strong and not that style. However, since I was able to fill a lot of the wildness that I lacked while serving as the president of the Korea University Student Council, that career cannot be left out. The second is the Speaker of the National Assembly. When I was the chairman of the National Assembly, I impeached President Park Geun-hye at the National Assembly. At that time, there were only 120 seats for the Democratic Party, and members of the Saenuri Party joined in and passed the impeachment bill with 234 votes in favor. Of course, that was possible because of the support of the citizens of the candlelight, but as can be seen from the rejection of the Trump impeachment bill in the United States, Congress does not necessarily meet the demands of the people. At that time, I am proud to have well received the demands of the people as the chairman of the National Assembly so that the National Assembly could fulfill its historical mission. The third is the Prime Minister. I think Corona has contributed to balance the economy and quarantine in the unprecedented pandemic situation. Of the OECD (OECD) countries, aren’t we the best in terms of economic growth? Because of the vaccine these days (though there are a lot of criticisms), it will get better soon. I picked all three, but I also love my corporate career. It is because of my experience working in a company that I have been criticized by the National Assembly as the brightest legislator in the real economy.”
Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]
―Since you mentioned corona prevention, I will ask you a few questions. As prime minister, you have been in charge of quarantine for one year and three months, and what would you name the best and most regrettable things you did?
“In the early days, when the number of confirmed patients increased significantly in Daegu (because of the Sincheonji incident), I am confident that it was a good decision to go down to Daegu and command the quarantine in the field. Then I called the president. ‘I have to go down anyway,’ and the president said,’No, it’s easy to go, but how do you want to come out. It’s one month, two months, and what if I can’t come out.’ At that time, when I couldn’t see the situation, I thought it could be months if I really went wrong. I went down the next day, but as the situation continued to deteriorate, the hospital rooms were scarce and very upset. However, since I was right at the site, the citizens of Daegu seemed to be a little relieved. So, after 3 weeks, I came out (from Daegu), I thought it was good to go down. The most regrettable is that although we are one of the best in quarantine and economy, the suffering of self-employed and small business owners is enormous. I am very sorry for not being able to alleviate it further.”
―The world after Corona seems to be completely different from before. It would be the same in Korea. What do you think is the direction or task that Korean society should go out after the coronavirus?
“First of all, we must admit that the values that our people value and that these things are inevitably different from the past. It takes efforts to throw away what is drastically discarded and to accept the new world. I think there is a need for a change that places a high value on things that we have put less importance on, such as the environment and social responsibility. In order to make money, you can sacrifice other important things, I think I have to throw away this thought. There will be another pandemic in the future, but it will be difficult to deal with if we do not change.”
―Recently, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced that he would adjust his own business hours for self-employment, and Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myeong said he would practically review the introduction of vaccines at the provincial level. How do you see the local government’s independent quarantine movement?
“I’m a person who originally thinks it’s good to take advantage of local autonomy. If that can lead to better results, then you should. Local governments have discretionary powers permitted by the Infectious Disease Prevention Act. Make decisions at your own risk, but know that the powers and responsibilities that come with them go hand in hand. Pandemic is an issue that is not easy to respond to by local governments. It is difficult to distinguish between Gyeonggi-do and Seoul. However, if the quarantine guidelines are different, something like a balloon effect may appear, so this is not that simple. Let’s look at the vaccine, for example. Isn’t there a shortage of vaccines around the world right now? Since this is a public good that humanity must share, it is not desirable for the United States or Europe to secure a lot. Still, if not only local governments but also individuals come to get the vaccine, the government is very welcome. Of course, if possible. I know that many people are worried about the vaccine. In the media these days, there are many articles stating that group immunity in November has passed, but from the standpoint of myself, I am confident that I can keep the schedule suggested by the government and group immunity in November. The schedule suggested by the government, that is, inoculation of 12 million people during the first half of the year, this is not just a statement of wishes, but a number that was determined considering the possibility of various setbacks. If there are variables such as whether a mutant virus occurs and the existing vaccine becomes useless, or the United States bans exports, there will be no setbacks for the population immunity target for November. So, is it necessary to make the people uneasy (by making inaccurate arguments)? Let me see, I think that way.”
―Do you mean to’Let’s see’ to the opposition?
“No, I am talking to the media. The media say that the first half vaccination goal has already been gone, and at this rate it will take several years (for group immunity), so let’s see, I’m saying so. Will the final evaluation on corona prevention be done at the end? When the world becomes collective immunity, we have to put all these together and evaluate how many deaths and the economy are in the process. At that time, Korea will surely be counted as one of the countries that overcame the pandemic well. Let’s see.”
―Do you think the opposition and conservative media attacks on Corona are too political and excessive?
“I think so. That’s what I think. Isn’t it the true spirit of the media to criticize on behalf of the people? The same goes for the opposition party. But that should be reasonable. Even if you criticize it politically for a while, you have to admit it. When I look at our politics these days, I don’t feel like it’s developing, it’s regressing.”
―It seems that there were many times when I was prime minister, my emotions were intensified by attacks from the opposition party and the media (laughs).
“It’s because the people’s view is embarrassing. I also came to the administration now and joined the body, but am I not a politician in the first place? We are ashamed and sorry that our politics should serve the people, but the situation where the people have to worry about politics is reproduced… .”
―Isn’t it impossible to say that the opposition party is responsible for the intensification of conflict and division in politics?
“I don’t just blame the opposition. The ruling party is also very responsible.”
Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]
Former President Yoon Seok-yeol is unhappy for himself, the prosecution, and the country to politicize.
Former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun made 4 elections in Honam and moved the district to Jongno, Seoul for 2 more elections. In Jongno, he met with powerful opponents such as Hong Sa-deok, former vice chairman of the National Assembly, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and won. It is not easy for Honam Jungjin to win a streak in Jongno, Seoul, which is called Political No.1.
―It is so strong in regional elections, but it does not give the impression of a strong national political influence to the public. How do you feel about this for yourself?
“I must have been lacking in my efforts. I haven’t done a national campaign in earnest yet. You can’t do less effort and expect only good reviews. Another important thing is to have support when you need it. If you pass by in advance, it’s useless. “
―If you look at the media’s review of Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun, everyone says that it is’reasonable and moderate’. However, this criticism also comes with the feeling of’lacking strong leadership’.
“I think it can be done when you evaluate me for appearance. However, when I (at the National Assembly) struggled against the private school law, the transfer of the administrative capital, and the media law, I made it strong. Also, when I was the leader of the Democratic Party, I turned the defeat of the ‘re-election 43-0’ into a victory. I did what I couldn’t even make a regular job as a cleaning worker in the National Assembly because the former chairmen made promises. So I think (such an evaluation) is a bit unfair. I have no choice but to do my best to get a proper evaluation.”
―You are preparing for the presidential election in earnest, right?
“We haven’t formulated it yet.”
―What do you think is the spirit of the next March presidential election? Does the’politician Sye-gyun Jeong’ have the spirit of that era?
“How to overcome and recover from the pandemic and economic crisis is the biggest challenge at this time. Also, the presidential election must look into the future. I think this is the task of how Korea will go to a strong country and a country that lives well. I’m proud of that, I’ve achieved results in crisis management so far, and I’m a person who can prepare for the future through economic pain.”
―I was chosen by President Kim Dae-jung and entered politics, served as a minister and party representative during the days of President Roh Moo-hyun, and served as prime minister when he was President Moon Jae-in. Trusted by all three progressive presidents, what did you learn from each?
“From President Kim Dae-jung, I learned about the belief in democracy and the politics of the city. Governor Kim is a democrat, yet very flexible. President Roh Moo-hyun had a clear philosophy. While taking care of the weak, we boldly promoted balanced national development. This balanced development is in line with caring for the weak. I learned that value-oriented politics from President Roh. We, President Moon Jae-in, are policy-coherent, and I think he is the one who won’t be dusty even if you shake it off. I am very lucky to have been evaluated by such people, and I think this way.”
Former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun said on the 18th, Park Chan-soo <한겨레> I am interviewing a senior editorial board member. Senior reporter Kim Bong-gyu [email protected]
―How do you rate former Attorney General Yoon Seok-yeol? Do you think you’re going to enter the presidential election?
“Since the prosecutor general was not a member of the cabinet, there was no business connection. I knew it was just a good test. But the prosecution is an organization where neutrality is very important. Looking at recent moves, there was something that made me doubt political neutrality, and I don’t think it’s a good prosecutor in that regard. Yun’s politics is unfortunate for him, the prosecutors, and the country, but isn’t he already politicing?”
―Do you think the results of this 4.7 re-election will have an impact on next year’s presidential election?
“It’s up to us to do it. It could be a bitter medicine or it could be the beginning of a defeat, and it’s entirely up to you to be a Democrat. We have to make this result a bitter medicine.”
-He told former Prime Minister Chung, who quit his post as Prime Minister, that President Moon Jae-in’I believe he will continue to serve the people.’ How do you take this word?
“The President is a little generous enough to give such a virtue.”
―As Prime Minister, what was the most difficult period or issue for President Moon as you watched it from your side?
“Because he was a consistent person in the first place, he pursued the (prosecution reform) without shaking with the principle, but the President also struggled very much during the’Chumiae-Yun Seok-yeol conflict’. Politically, yes, policy is real estate. You struggled a lot for real estate.”
―Because you were the prime minister of the Moon Jae-in government, if you go to the presidential election, are you going to go out with the idea that’I will be evaluated for the Moon Jae-in government’s work?’
“Of course it is. Based on that, we have to take even measures of how we can properly serve the people. It is not that the Moon Jae-in administration’s deeds are unintentionally succeeded, but the part of the reforms that President Moon promoted that was not completed, and I have to deal with those things. I will make bold adjustments in areas that need adjustment.” Senior Editorial Fellow [email protected]