[Joo Young-jin's News Briefing]

When citing this interview for reporting, please accurately state the program name '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: Joo Young-jin, Anchor
■ Guest: Rep. Kim Young-jin, Democratic Party
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● Interview with Democratic Party Lawmaker Kim Young-jin
"This National Convention Seems Escalated Due to Strong Messages from Rhyu Si-min"
"Democratic Party Members Divided in Judgment and Evaluation of Kim Min-seok"
"Ability to Solve Difficult Problems with Government is Key to Selecting Party Leader"
"Hwang Hee's 'Abandoned Bus Housing' Remark Inappropriate... Action Outside the Realm of Youth's Current Situation"
"Democratic Party Fails to Read Changing Thoughts and Aspirations of Youth"
"High Entry Barrier for Young Politicians... Must Create Opportunities for Advancement"
"Real Estate is a Complex Issue with Sensitive Factors... Hard to Cut Plain and Simple"
"Strictly Cutting Off Single-Homeowner Non-Residency Issue Will Repeat Problems"
"Presidential Approval Rating Edging Downward at a Time When It Should Be Strengthened Through National Convention... A Peculiar Case"
"Democratic Party Must Move Toward Unity and Solidarity While Clearly Supporting the President"
"Ruling Party is a Position of Responsibility... Must Accept Criticism and Bring Alternatives"
"Reform Policies Like Real Estate Must Be Revised After Listening to Public Opinion"
"Jung Sung-ho Has Strong Sense of Public Responsibility... Will Move Accordingly"
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▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Among Democratic Party politicians, he is probably the one who gets interviewed most by the media and whose interviews get reported the most. We have Representative Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party with us. Welcome.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Nice to meet you.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Nice to meet you. You have the exact same given name as I do, so I really like the name 'Young-jin.' Don't you agree?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: That's right.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: We were just talking about the Democratic Party's national convention earlier. How do you see the current situation? Some newspaper cartoons have gone as far as asking, 'Is this a party convention or a party splintering convention?' There are evaluations that the factional division is getting far too severe.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: I think it's because this is probably the most fierce party leadership race we've seen in the past 10 years. As you mentioned, many previous leadership races were actually quite flat because there was a wide gap between first and second place, so it was almost like a mere ceremony. But this time, the top two candidates are engaged in a fiercely tight race.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Because it's a complete neck-and-neck race even up to now.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: It's completely neck and neck. Also, there seem to be slight differences among candidates regarding the future path of the Democratic Party and how to handle relations between the party, government, and presidential office. As a result, the views of party members interpreting and supporting those candidates have also split. In particular, this convention seems to have escalated further because former Minister Rhyu Si-min's messages and media interviews played a strong role. Points where he strongly criticized President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party government using very intense language—such as the 'A-B-C theory,' the 'reconstruction theory,' the 'foul smell theory,' and the 'inevitable failure of the Lee Jae-myung administration'—seem to have heavily influenced party members. That's why, while a national convention should ideally lead to solidarity, integration, and expansion, there are concerns that division and conflict are becoming embedded within it.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Speaking of writer Rhyu Si-min, if you listen closely to Candidate Jung Chung-rae's messages and Rhyu's remarks, Candidate Jung keeps bringing up Candidate Kim Min-seok's departure from the party in 2002 to assist Candidate Chung Mong-jun, saying, "Someone who betrayed once will continue to betray." Back then, the overwhelming consensus within the Democratic Party was that Kim Min-seok as a politician was practically done, but now he has returned, served as Prime Minister, and is running for party leader. This has even brought up arguments of "legitimacy"—with some members claiming "we are the legitimate successors" when mentioning Rhyu Si-min. In that context, isn't there a big gap in thinking among party members—between those who joined recently and those who have been around for a long time?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: I think those points definitely exist to some extent. In fact, Candidate Kim Min-seok's political career has been quite tumultuous, hasn't it?

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That's true.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: As you know, there was very strong criticism regarding his act of moving over to Candidate Chung Mong-jun for unification in 2002, and that criticism persisted for 18 years. In fact, the person who made his political reinstatement possible by designating Candidate Kim Min-seok as a primary candidate for the general election in 2020 under party leadership was Representative Lee Hae-chan. So I believe Chairman Lee Hae-chan made a political judgment and decision that after 18 years, Representative Kim Min-seok could once again serve as valuable talent for the Democratic Party. That led to his return to politics, after which he became Senior Supreme Council Member and Prime Minister. Since those who know that past history overlap with members who joined afterward, and with total party membership growing to 1.55 million, judgments and evaluations are naturally quite divided. But looking at the big picture, as we engage in politics, issues like 'legitimacy' or 'digging up past graves' are always present, but the true mechanism of politics lies in designing the future and offering a vision. I believe the public has always made choices based on what capabilities candidates possess. So this time as well, what role and capabilities the Democratic Party leader brings to work in sync with the Lee Jae-myung administration to solve current challenges will likely be the core criteria for choice.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Earlier, Representative Hwang Hee's so-called 'abandoned bus house' proposal drew backlash from many young people and criticism in newspaper cartoons. What went through your mind, Representative Kim, when you first heard that? It was widely reported in the media as well.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Regarding Representative Hwang Hee's bus house remarks, I thought that might have been something said privately at home, but bringing it to the official table and making it public was inappropriate. Even though it is clear that this is not what young people want today, it was a very inappropriate remark. So Representative Hwang posted an apology of self-reflection publicly today, but the remark itself was unsuitable. I see it as an act that strayed outside the realm of how the ruling party should provide housing policies, youth housing, and rental homes that ensure a humane quality of life tailored to the current situation and conditions of young people. I hope this serves as an occasion for reflection and self-examination.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You are a local constituency lawmaker yourself, so you must be aware that among the young generation in their 20s and 30s, presidential approval is quite negative and there is a clear trend of withholding support from the Democratic Party. Do you feel this directly?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: My own son and daughter are in their 20s, in their late 20s. Whenever I talk with them, it's similar. Regarding those issues, unlike in our youth, opportunities for today's 20-somethings to get hired at major corporations or mid-sized companies after graduating from college have shrunk drastically. Because the number of college graduates landing jobs at decent companies has plummeted, many fail to get hired even after two, three, or four attempts, building up condensed anxiety about their future. When talking with them, I found that fairness is the most crucial value as they navigate this narrow path of job placement, securing housing, and preparing for marriage.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Yes, fairness.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Second, there was a strong appeal for society to view youth as South Korea's genuine future, rather than just summoning them during elections or whenever convenient. Third and last, they often asked for honest communication and for someone to listen to them. Rather than unilaterally appointing a 'Youth Supreme Council Member' or 'Youth Committee Member' whenever needed, I strongly feel they need policies, support, and budget to build a social foundation that improves the general living conditions of youth and helps them prepare for jobs, future housing, and marriage.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: The Democratic Party used to enjoy overwhelming support from younger generations. Even with demographic shifts over time, I doubt Democratic politicians anticipated such a steep drop in support among young people.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: That's right. Even in the 2022 presidential election, despite slight gender variance in vote shares, average support for the Democratic presidential candidate and party was higher than for the opposition party. But that situation has flipped now, indicating that the Democratic Party fails to properly read the changing thoughts and aspirations of youth. I think we have drifted a bit from their hearts, and issues like the 'bus house' poured fuel on the fire. We need a more detailed look at youth policies, offering policy alternatives to improve conditions for all youth—covering employment, housing, and marriage—and fulfilling what young people truly want, which I believe is a fair system.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: At some point, it seems to have become difficult for young politicians to challenge for leadership in the Democratic Party's national convention.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: The entry barrier is quite high. So while applying the yardstick of fairness, we currently maintain a policy of mandatory 30% nomination for women to increase female political participation.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: The Democratic Party was the first to implement that.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: In truth, we haven't always strictly adhered to it.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That's true.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Even so, maintaining that policy direction consistently over 10 to 15 years helped increase female political participation in local councils and the National Assembly. Similarly, I believe it is necessary to create opportunities for young people to enter politics while maintaining a framework of fairness.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Looking at President Lee Jae-myung's remarks during the tax reform announcement, he raised the issue that wage earners pay up to 50% in taxes on their income, whereas property owners might pay only a few hundred million won in tax even if they make 10 billion won. Many people sympathize with President Lee's concern about fairness. At the same time, however, people who bought a single house in Gangnam or elsewhere in Seoul 25 or 30 years ago and have lived in that single house ever since object, asking, 'Does that make me a speculator too?' How should this issue be resolved?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Exactly. In general academic discussions on housing, the dominant thesis favors applying measures strictly to single-homeowner owner-occupiers. But in reality, there are many cases of non-occupying single homeowners. For instance, people who own a home in Seoul but work in the provinces often fall into non-resident single-homeowner status. What do we do in those cases? How do we handle issues for elderly home owners? And if we resolve all of that, how do we address rental and lease market measures? Because such sensitive issues interact in complex ways, I don't think you can just cut them plain and simple. We need realistic measures tailored to diverse conditions—acknowledging reality where needed, while leaving room for tax normalization where appropriate. If you strictly cut off taxation on non-resident single-homeowners, those practical problems arise. This seems to be a recurring theme, and we face criticism from the public whenever our measures lack precision. I expect the party's policy committee chairman and relevant policy desks will refine these plans to better fit reality.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Real estate policy seems like a field where no matter how much you study, learning capacity doesn't easily surge. There are so many complex and differing viewpoints.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Situations and conditions vary so greatly that it's hard to accommodate everyone, but even so, it's a subject that inevitably draws criticism if it fails to align with reality.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right. In any case, overall trends show President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating—which was quite high prior to the local elections—showing a clear downward trend. It has dropped significantly, to 43.3% according to Realmeter today. A turnaround seems necessary, and reflecting on this inevitably leads to personnel renewal. Issues like accountability for Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom over leveraged ETFs, cabinet reshuffles, and various other matters have been raised. After the Democratic Party's national convention concludes, do you think President Lee might consider a sweeping cabinet reshuffle or personnel overhaul? Have you heard anything?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: So far, there are no specific comments from the presidential office on that matter, and personnel decisions are the exclusive authority of the president. I've heard that now is not yet the time to discuss it. Currently, as many say, the first year of administration was a honeymoon period.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That's right.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Because the previous government made mistakes, relative evaluation made support ratings appear higher, under the logic that even if the new government isn't doing great, it's better than the old one. Now that a year of the honeymoon period has passed, I believe the time has come to be evaluated by results. We must take responsibility with cold, hard results. In reality, multiple debates overlapping around real estate policy, the stock market, and supplementary investigative authority are worsening challenges for the Lee Jae-myung Democratic Party administration. In particular, approval ratings should be expanding, strengthening, and rising through this national convention...

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: But they are trending downward, which I view as a peculiar case. So first of all, while acknowledging partial differences, I believe the ruling Democratic Party must move toward integration and unity rather than division, clearly defining its role as supporting President Lee Jae-myung's policy agenda. Criticism is inevitable, and in such cases, I believe the ruling party must take responsibility through results.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Naturally.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Rather than shifting blame by asking whose fault it is, we should acknowledge our responsibility, endure criticism, and show patience. Now is the time to present alternatives and move forward. So I believe that if we maintain approval ratings above 40% without letting them crumble further, practice mutual patience, and revise reform policies regarding real estate, stock markets, and others to better listen to public opinion, we can create a turning point for adjustment. Once the national convention ends, the party structure will be reorganized.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: And with a refreshed atmosphere, I believe the Lee Jae-myung Democratic administration can reach a new turning point. Although conflict and division seem large during the national convention right now, once it concludes, it will be like slicing water—it will quickly heal—and if we move forward united, I believe the public will give the Lee Jae-myung Democratic Party government a better evaluation.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Have you spoken on the phone or met with Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho recently?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: I have spoken with him on the phone. We talked and he shared his thoughts, which were not much different from his public statements.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Is that so? Did he not say something like 'Let me see you often at the National Assembly soon'?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: He did mention that. Since the President emphasized prioritizing public interest over private concern and making thorough preparations for the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency on October 2, and since Minister Jung Sung-ho has a strong sense of public responsibility regarding such matters, he will move accordingly. That's what I've emphasized.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: He won't serve as minister forever, so wouldn't it be interpreted that he and the President have reached an understanding about when he might step down?

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Wouldn't they have?

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Understood. That was an interview with Representative Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party. Thank you for speaking with us.

▶ Kim Young-jin / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Thank you.

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