Backtracking After 'Museopno' Controversy: 'If This Repeats, We Will Become a Boomer Party'

[Joo Young-jin's News Briefing]

When quoting this interview, please clearly credit the program 'SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing>'. Copyright belongs to SBS.

■ Broadcast: SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing> Mon–Fri (14:00–15:20)
■ Host: Anchor Joo Young-jin
■ Guest: Kim Hyung-nam, former candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary
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● Interview with Kim Hyung-nam, former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary
"What the 2030 generation expects as voters, just like other generations, is 'competent change'"
"The ruling Democratic Party is failing to solve the immediate problems of the 2030 generation"
"We should not engage in politics as if we are trying to lecture the public"
"The Democratic Party has failed to present a blueprint for the future... There is much criticism that it is not supporting the government's efforts"
"Checks on police investigations must be discussed in tandem with the timing of abolishing the supplementary investigative power"

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▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: He is a young politician who has declared his candidacy to become a member of the Supreme Council of the ruling Democratic Party. We have Kim Hyung-nam, former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary, with us. Welcome.

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: Hello.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Please introduce yourself to our viewers.

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: Hello. My name is Kim Hyung-nam, and I am preparing to run for the Supreme Council in the upcoming Democratic Party of Korea national convention. Previously, I worked as a human rights activist for about 10 years at an organization called the Center for Military Human Rights Korea. I also have experience defending democracy alongside citizens as a moderator in the plazas calling for Yoon Suk-yeol's resignation. In the last Seoul mayoral primary, I ran to bring the stories of the 20s and 30s who are being pushed out of Seoul to the center of the election. I am now challenging for the Supreme Council election. I would appreciate it if you could watch my journey closely.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: The position of Supreme Council member is typically sought after by politicians with established careers, such as elected lawmakers. Since you do not yet have a prominent career in parliament or Yeouido, there must be a reason why you decided to run for the Supreme Council.

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: On the contrary, because I am an outsider—someone who has not been in Yeouido—I believe I am the person who can accomplish the things the party clearly needs at this very moment. While working at the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, I had experience supporting major cases like the Corporal Chae case or the Private Yoon case. However, the most fundamental activity of the center is talking to, counseling, and supporting young people in their 20s regarding human rights violation cases every single day. Through this, I closely listened to the stories of those in their 20s and experienced the process of building trust by solving their problems. Ultimately, this is my view: what people in their 20s and 30s expect from politics and social change is competent change, not just being consoled or treated nicely. Just like other generations, what the 2030 generation expects from a political party as voters is someone who can competently solve problems. In that sense, based on my experience of changing the military—an organization in Korean society that is notoriously resistant to change—I want to bring change to our Democratic Party and Korean society.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: At some point, the unwritten rule that young people always support the Democratic Party changed. Following the recent local elections and parliamentary by-elections, the analysis that the Democratic Party is being shunned by the 2030 generation has gained traction. What do you think is the reason for this, and what is the solution?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: For those currently in their early 20s, when they started following how society works through the news, the Democratic Party of Korea was already either the majority party or the ruling party from the very beginning. Therefore, the basic sentiment among today's 20s is that the responsibility to solve social problems ultimately lies with the Democratic Party. Korean society is currently at a point where many updates are needed. At a time when existing social systems and our established life paths are changing significantly, we need to drive changes in the existing social safety net and industrial growth routes. However, I believe the Democratic Party is facing criticism for not leading these updates, which is why people, especially the younger generation, do not have expectations for the party. I think this is reflected in the continuous disapproval of the Democratic Party in elections. What is more important than what more we can do for the youth is...

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: You mean we should absolutely not approach them with a patronizing attitude of giving them handouts, right?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: Yes, instead of just saying "we will treat you well," we must show a willingness to be fairly evaluated by voters. We need to present a direction for our society looking 10 or 20 years into the future and show that we are preparing for it starting now. That is how we can regain trust. After all, isn't the purpose of politics to solve problems? I believe we must move forward as a party that leads issues by showing the process of solving them, but the current Democratic Party is actually a party that is only doing risk management.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Has it already become an establishment party?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: There are dangerous signs that it could become an establishment party. However, I believe we still have a window of opportunity.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: During the last local elections, you worked for the campaign of Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh, right?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: That is correct. 

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: One of the notable moments back then was the backlash over proposing a bill to withdraw indictments. Another was the controversy surrounding the boycott of Starbucks during the so-called Starbucks Tank Day marketing controversy, which was suggested by the Democratic Party leadership. Looking back, what did you think at the time? Candidate Ko Min-jung mentioned that she felt quite suffocated back then.

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: I believe we should not engage in politics as if we are trying to lecture the public. For example, in the Starbucks incident, Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin was clearly in the wrong. I believe the target of criticism should have been Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin's management. However, when regular employees working at Starbucks stores became the targets of attacks, I think many citizens watching this could have felt a sense of problem with that approach. 

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: But back then, the campaign camp of Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh probably couldn't go to Starbucks either, right?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: I believe we must address the clear issues surrounding the Tank Day event at Starbucks at that time. Corporations should not manage their businesses that way. The parts that deserve criticism must be criticized, and I believe that definitely affects sales. However, the target of the attack should not be the employees working at Starbucks. While there are naturally regrets about those aspects because it was an election, from a more fundamental perspective as someone who also ran as a primary candidate in the Seoul mayoral election, I think we need to painfully reflect on whether the Democratic Party provided a reason for voters who are currently not showing up at the polls to actually go and vote. I believe the lesson we must reflect on from this local election is whether the Democratic Party is properly answering the question of who it is working for and what it is doing.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Those who ran together in the Seoul mayoral election probably feel that more than anyone else, actually. If we had won the Seoul mayoral election, things might have been very different, right? 

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: Nevertheless, I question whether the party is presenting a blueprint for the future while our society is changing at a very rapid pace. People are asking what kind of preparations Korea is making regarding housing, jobs, labor, and the changes brought by AI. I believe the current Lee Jae-myung administration is staking its life on various projects related to these issues. I think initiatives like the three mega-projects are very important challenges to change the growth structure of our country. However, when asking what role the ruling Democratic Party has played and what support it has provided for these government attempts, citizens and the public have a sense of problem that the ruling party is not doing its job. I believe this is also reflected in the gap between support for the party and support for the president.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Candidate Kim, what are your thoughts on the issue of merging with the Rebuilding Korea Party?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: I wonder if a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party is something the Democratic Party can bring up first under the current circumstances. First of all, the Rebuilding Korea Party is also holding its national convention right now. Even there, they are saying that now is not the time to talk about an immediate merger, and former Representative Cho Kuk is currently saying that the responsibility for the election in Pyeongtaek lies entirely with the Democratic Party. Under these perceptions, I believe we must fundamentally question whether we can proceed with merger discussions with the Democratic Party. While I agree with the broad premise that the democratic and progressive camps must continue to align and expand their framework, I believe we need an explanation of the path toward a merger that can convince many party members.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Recently, there was a controversy over a member of the girl group RESCENE using the expression "museopno" (scary). Former Representative Cho Kuk commented that Ilbe always attaches the suffix "-no" to the end of sentences, though he later expressed regret as the controversy escalated. Some have pointed out that the current political circle is replacing a simple situation with ideology. What did you think about this issue?

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: I do not believe that politicians need to comment on every single issue. If he truly believed this was a problem, he should have spoken with clear preparation and conviction. Instead, he changed his stance after a few days of controversy, didn't he? And even then, he did not apologize but rather said he had no such intention. I think these kinds of remarks continue to disappoint citizens, especially young 2030 voters who are interested in this issue. We are losing points. I believe there are two ways for the party to regain trust: one is showing a vision for the future as I mentioned earlier, and the second is not losing points in ongoing events. However, as these incidents repeat, the Democratic Party continues to carry the image of a "boomer party."

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: What are your thoughts on the issue of supplementary investigative power? 

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: I think it is quite concerning that the issue of supplementary investigative power is being framed as a binary choice between the prosecution and the police. Having worked on military-related issues for a long time and addressing judicial reform in the military as a long-term task, I believe that once any investigative agency gains power, it is bound to manifest that power in a distorted way. No single entity should be exempt from oversight and checks. I believe supplementary investigative power can be abolished, and I think it should be. Since the prosecution has ultimately lost the public's trust while holding investigative power, I believe there must be reform in that area. However, blindly abolishing supplementary investigative power and saying "let's handle the rest later" is not something the ruling party should say. Once supplementary investigative power is abolished, it is gone from that day. Therefore, at the time of its abolition, we must sufficiently discuss how to monitor police power, how to push forward when the police fail to investigate properly, and how to strengthen the status of the National Police Commission. These reforms must go hand in hand so that not a single citizen suffers harm. I believe it is problematic to reform power institutions by doing one thing and leaving the rest for later.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: I see. This was an interview with candidate Kim Hyung-nam, who has declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party's Supreme Council race. I hope you will share great and relatable stories that the public can pay attention to during this Supreme Council race. Thank you for your time.

▶ Kim Hyung-nam / Former Democratic Party candidate in the Seoul mayoral primary: Thank you.

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.