Kim Hyungnam: "The Problem Is Thinking Comforting the 2030 Generation Is Enough" [Ruling Party Convention Interview]

Former Secretary General of Military Human Rights Center
No Prepared Youth Policy in the Ruling Party

"When the Democratic Party of Korea sees a decline in support among voters in their 40s and 50s, the immediate question is, 'Is there a problem with our real estate policy?' or 'Is our tax policy wrong?' But when support among voters in their 20s and 30s drops, the reaction is simply, 'Is there any good youth policy?' The problem is that there is no prepared agenda."

Kim Hyungnam, former Secretary General of the Military Human Rights Center, who is running for the Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 10th at Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on July 10, Kim Hyungnam, former Secretary General of the Military Human Rights Center and a candidate for the Supreme Council in the Democratic Party's August 17 national convention, said, "The Democratic Party does not view those in their 20s and 30s as a single bloc of voters. They think that, like their own sons and daughters, if they comfort them, they will come back," expressing his concerns.

Kim, the former secretary general, identified the 'youth agenda' as the core task for the Supreme Council member representing young people. He stated, "Even now, there are many young people in the party, from the youth and university student committees to party staff and aides," adding, "The role of the youth Supreme Council member is to organize which agenda items should be prioritized and to gather strength to push them forward."

Born in 1989, Kim was an emcee at rallies for the "Yoon Suk Yeol Resignation and Social Reform Emergency Action" during the 12·3 Martial Law period. He also ran in the Seoul mayoral primary during the 6·3 local elections.

Former Military Human Rights Center Secretary-General Hyungnam Kim, who is running for the Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily on the 10th in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The following is a Q&A.

-You have been campaigning across the country with the 'Give Me a Vote' campaign, responding whenever party members call.

▲I have been receiving a lot of messages from all over the country. Most of them are from party members in their 20s.

-Is there a common message you hear?

▲They say they joined because they believed the party could change Korean society, but these days, they are worried. They feel that while the president seems to be trying hard, the party is not fulfilling its role.

-What would you like to pursue as the Supreme Council member representing young people?

▲I would like to propose a 'transitional income' policy, an expanded form of unemployment benefits to support career changes. Even now, people say AI retraining is necessary, but it takes time to study and learn. I believe we could create a new type of social security system by utilizing additional semiconductor tax revenues.

-What is your strength compared to other candidates?

▲I have worked closely with the Democratic Party for 10 years. Since the Moon Jae-in administration in 2017, I have maintained close communication with the party, overseeing practical work from defense reform initiatives to the special prosecutor acts for Sergeant Lee Yeram and Private Chae.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.