[Joo Young-jin's News Briefing]

When quoting this interview, please cite the program name 'SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing>'. SBS holds the copyright.

■ Broadcast: SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing> Monday – Friday (14:00 – 15:20)
■ Host: Anchor Joo Young-jin
■ Guest: Shin Jang-sik, Leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party
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● Interview with Shin Jang-sik, Leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party

"The Public's Demands Are Not Abstract, but Very Specific"
"Rebuilding Korea Party Will Play a Role on the Left Playing Field of Korean Politics"
"We Will Become an Alternative Political Force and a Choice for Reform in Honam"
"No Need to Deny the Possibility of a Merger, but Restoring Trust Comes First"
"Democratic Party Should Act to Build Standards for Solidarity, Not Push a Merger Offensive"
"President Sent a Message of Solidarity Through Appointments... Out of Sync with the Democratic Party"
"Yong Hye-in: The Significance of Representing Women in Their 20s and 30s Is Actually Having the Opposite Effect"
"Yong Hye-in's Appointment Is Sweeping Away Even the President's Message"
"Kim Seung-won: Legally No Issue... Appropriateness as a Public Office Nominee Is a Separate Matter"


▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: We have Shin Jang-sik, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, here with us. Welcome.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: Hello.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That speech you gave earlier was truly impressive: "Politics may start with words, but in the end, it is completed by the dust and sweat on the soles of one's shoes."

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: That is what I believe. So I've been working hard, visiting the field about 15 times over the past five-plus or six weeks. I go to the field two or three times a week to hear the voices of the people directly.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: How are the voices of the public? Aren't they all quite similar? How do you see it?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: But they are not as abstract as we might think.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Not abstract.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: They are specific. Extremely specific. For example, I visited a zucchini farm in Chuncheon.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Chuncheon.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: That's your hometown, right? I visited a zucchini farm during a heat wave. A head of household in his early 60s told me, "My back hurt so much that I was shedding tears while digging up potatoes." In fact, the people who suffer the most illnesses from extreme heat are agricultural workers. People often think it's manufacturing, shipbuilding, or construction, but it's actually agriculture, and that is true worldwide. But there is something we completely overlook: there is no industrial accident compensation insurance in agriculture. Wage workers can be protected by industrial accident insurance, but self-employed farmers have no such coverage.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: There was a blind spot.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: It's a complete gap. Yet we weren't even aware of it. When our elders and parents in our hometowns work in the heat, people just say, "Oh, old folks, stop working, don't work."

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Telling them, "Please don't work."

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: We only say that. But when actual accidents happen, looking at the statistics from July last year and July and August this year, the most common cases of people in their 80s being rushed to emergency rooms due to extreme heat are from paddy ridges and fields. Yet there are no solutions under health insurance. That is why we are currently preparing to introduce the Agricultural Labor Disaster Compensation Act. This is something I would never have known if I hadn't visited the field.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That shows that the answers lie in the field.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: As the wordplay goes, "Our problems have their answers in the field."

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: It seems you describe the position and role of the Rebuilding Korea Party as a "strong and agile party for people's livelihoods."

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: That's right. There are two main aspects. First, more than going left or right, a major part is reaching downward to the grassroots. On the other hand, a position we feel we must take is that President Lee Jae-myung has made his centrist, pragmatic course clear. That leaves the left playing field of Korean politics open. Someone has to play there and pass the ball to the midfield so that Team Korea can score, right? We believe we should firmly and impressively take charge of that left field in Korean politics and play our part there.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: The prevailing perception of the Rebuilding Korea Party was the slogan during the last general election: "Democratic Party for local constituencies, Rebuilding Korea Party for proportional representation." That's how the public granted you 12 seats. But going forward, how exactly will the Rebuilding Korea Party navigate its relationship with the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party? Does this mean that in the next general election, the Rebuilding Korea Party will run under its own name and compete with the Democratic Party in local constituencies as well?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: First, our fundamental principles are threefold: competing on reform, cooperating on livelihoods, and building an ironclad solidarity to protect democracy. I see two main aspects. First, becoming an alternative political force in the Honam region. The Democratic Party has done well; it is indeed the rightful heir of Honam politics. But is it right for a single party to monopolize the entire region? There is a public demand asking whether competition might revitalize the region. Here, we must naturally compete. Although it wasn't as much as we hoped for in the recent local elections, 38 public officials, including the heads of Sinan County and Jangheung County, were elected from Honam under our party. If one duty is to become a trustworthy alternative for the people of Honam, another duty arises from seeing that the Democratic Party now talks about center-right orientation, structural majority, or integration. Of course, it is good for the ruling party to strive to become a majority. However, looking at the recent discussions around a merger, some members under the Democratic Party banner painted the public concept of land ownership—which even the Constitutional Court recognized—as socialism and red-baited it. In that case, we must offer a choice to those demanding clear and decisive reform. It is becoming evident nowadays that the Democratic Party banner alone does not guarantee reform. Therefore, we believe offering a choice to these citizens, including in local constituencies, is our duty as a public political party.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: There are no absolutes in politics; people often say it is a living organism. When does your term as leader end, Representative Shin?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: My term lasts until July 2028.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Until the next general election. While you serve as leader, is the spark for a potential merger between the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party still alive?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: I don't think there's a need to completely deny that possibility. But you have to button the first button properly before you can button the second and third, and you have to take the first step to reach the third and fourth steps, right? I believe restoring trust...

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Restoring trust.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: ...and clarifying the principles and standards for solidarity are what matter. Only then can we talk about what comes next. What does restoring trust mean? Supporters on both sides have been hurt in certain aspects.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: The surprise merger proposal last time, the events that followed, and the remarks that came out of the Democratic Party.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: That's right. Time and effort are needed to heal those wounds. Second, what are the principles and standards for solidarity? I believe it is keeping promises. Last year, ahead of the 2025 presidential election, five political parties—the Democratic Party, Rebuilding Korea Party, Progressive Party, Social Democratic Party, and Basic Income Party—along with civic groups including the Plaza Civic Solidarity and Plaza Political Solidarity, drafted a declaration covering prosecution reform, political reform, and major social reform. But regarding political reform in particular, not a single promise has been kept. Promises must be fulfilled for trust to be built. That is how principles and standards for solidarity can be established. So rather than mounting a merger offensive, it is time to take action to establish standards for trust and solidarity. I want to emphasize that trust begins with action—the action of keeping promises.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: In the end, the Democratic Party and the Blue House must show it first?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: Yes, and I think there has been a lack of coordination. Through the recent cabinet reshuffle, including figures like Lee Hae-min and Yong Hye-in, the president actually delivered a message of solidarity.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Representative Lee Hae-min gave up her proportional representation seat when leaving the Rebuilding Korea Party, didn't she?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: She went to serve as the Senior Presidential Secretary for AI. How could there not have been internal agony within our party? We wrestled with it deeply.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You must have discussed it, naturally.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: We consulted within a very limited circle, as this pertains to the president's appointment power. But on Sunday, when even I didn't know the exact date, I received a message from the Blue House that morning saying, "We will announce it today." At first they said afternoon, but then things kept leaking. They said, "We must do it this morning. It will be at 11:30 AM."

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Personnel appointments are that difficult.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: Indeed, that was the case. Where was I at the time? I was visiting Busan or Mokpo, and I heard about it there and had to respond urgently. This was a message of solidarity from the president. But the next day, though I indirectly heard explanations that it wasn't intentional, regarding Representative Kim Min-seok and Policy Committee Vice Chair Kim Yong-nam... People might ask, "Why comment on another party's internal appointments?" But I am talking about the timing. Of course, I cannot interfere in another party's party appointments. But Lee Hae-min on Sunday, and Kim Yong-nam on Monday? You have to wonder, "What is going on?"

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: "What is going on?"

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: One can't help but wonder. Because when the merger proposal was previously made to the Rebuilding Korea Party, they criticized then-Leader Jung Chung-rae, saying, "How could you propose a merger when the KOSPI has reached 5,000?" So given the coincidental timing, it does make me feel that there is some lack of coordination.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Since the topic of appointments has come up, what are your thoughts on nominee Yong Hye-in, who is facing strong backlash and criticism from young people over issues of fairness?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: First of all, the symbolic value of representing women in their 20s and 30s seems to be producing the opposite effect right now. I am simply stating the reality. And here is what I think: explanations saying "that was in the past and nothing like that happens now" regarding the so-called shadow adviser controversies are hard for the public to accept. Even if it was in the past, if she had shown a more reflective attitude and expressed remorse, wishing she had been a better person back then, she might have had more room to convince the public. Furthermore, the president sent a message through Yong Hye-in's nomination. In other words, beyond representing women in their 20s and 30s, there was a message of solidarity to rebuild the so-called "lightstick governing coalition" that had loosened. In that case, I believe it is the responsibility of the government and ruling Democratic Party to preserve the message of solidarity while also addressing the public's concerns—either by providing clear explanations or taking other measures. However, even the president's message is being swept away. Unless we unite, integrate, and solidify the governing coalition once again, how can we gain momentum to drive state affairs? I question whether the Democratic Party shouldn't come up with deeper measures on this, and whether simply drawing a line by claiming "I am righteous" can solve the problem.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Is giving up her proportional representation seat the answer, or is stepping down from the nominee position the answer? She keeps repeating that she will explain everything at the confirmation hearing.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: A date for the confirmation hearing hasn't even been set yet. Because it is a concurrent standing committee, it can only be scheduled after all confirmation hearings in the preceding standing committees are completed...

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: ...It will only be scheduled after confirmation hearings for five ministerial nominees are completed. Moreover, the committee chair is Representative Kim Jeong-jae of the People Power Party. As I anticipate, getting a hearing scheduled quickly won't be easy. In the meantime, I question whether remaining silent and merely saying "I will clarify at the hearing" can overcome the immediate challenges.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Regarding Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, Representative Han Dong-hoon has launched an offensive. Nominee Kim is questioning the messenger—asking where Representative Han obtained the materials—while Representative Han is urging focus on the allegations contained in the recorded audio files he presented. What is your view on this?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: I think we need to distinguish two aspects here. First, from a legal standpoint, I don't see any issue.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Right.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: Because the initial phone calls allegedly made took place in 2016. Back then, nominee Kim Seung-won was practicing as a lawyer. He was not a public official. He was neither a ministerial nominee nor a lawmaker like he is now. Furthermore, the suspension of indictment was handed down in December 2024, during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration—around the time martial law was declared. Looking at why an indictment was suspended back then from a legal perspective: individuals named Kang and Yang, who were accused of soliciting favors over the phone, were indicted, and they were found not guilty. Had they been found guilty, prosecutors probably would have lifted the suspension of indictment and indicted nominee Kim. But since they were acquitted, the suspension of indictment remains in place. So legally speaking, there is no issue. However, he does need to answer questions regarding whether such conduct was appropriate as a lawyer at the time or as a public office nominee today. Still, talking as if this occurred while he was a public official distorts the facts. And I am genuinely curious: I suspect that audio files like these are pieces of evidence that even defense attorneys have to request on CD to receive, although transcripts might exist. It makes me wonder if there is a very daring prosecutor out there right now. I believe we must separate the issue into two parts: nominee Kim Seung-won's legal issues on one hand, and qualification vetting on the other, as this can certainly be part of qualification vetting.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Leader Shin, we heard your explanation clearly. Former Leader Cho Kuk recently mentioned playing the role of a "red team" for the Lee Jae-myung administration, and many people are curious about the identity and future path of the Rebuilding Korea Party. Since we don't have much time left, could you take about 30 seconds to tell our viewers what path the party will take and reassure them not to worry?

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: Please do not worry. If you think about it in reverse, isn't the opposition attacking like that because government approval ratings are trending downward? It's the other way around. For the success of the Republic of Korea, I hope people view constructive criticism as good medicine that tastes bitter. We will cooperate on people's livelihoods, compete on reforms, and unite like iron to defend democracy. Please do not worry.

▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Understood. That was our interview with Shin Jang-sik, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party. Thank you for your time.

▶ Shin Jang-sik / Leader of Rebuilding Korea Party: Thank you.

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