Yoo Seong-min, presidential nominee for Bareun Party running in South Korea's 2017 presidential
election, thank you for squeezing time out of your absolutely hectic campaigning schedule.
I'm going to be very direct with you.
From an objective point of you, you're not running a very easy race here.
For a whole host of reasons in this country at the moment, it is not an easy time to be
a conservative running in the presidential election.
Why are you running for President of the Republic of Korea?
It is true that conservative politicians in Korea are going through a rough time because
of the recent presidential impeachment.
But, it's also very important that we give hope to the Korean people by showing them
a new way of being conservative.
As the presidential nominee of Bareun Party, I would like to show the Korean people that
there is new hope for the conservatives.
That is why I am running for President this time.
It has long been proven that Korea's progressive politicians cannot build a strong, stable
national security; lack competence in running the economy.
That goes for the candidates running in this year's election as well.
I believe that my policy strategy of being strong on national security and reform-minded
on economic issues is the path conservatives should take in the long term and my run for
the presidential office is the first step toward that direction.
I think I have a winning chance if the majority of the people agree with the new values I've
proposed.
The Korean peninsula at the moment is in the global spotlight.
There's been a rapid escalation of tension in this part of the world.
Continuous provocations by the North Korean regime.
What is your policy pledge vis-a-vis Pyongyang?
And more broadly your foreign or diplomatic policy plan?
The biggest problem when it comes to North Korea is its nuclear and missile program.
If it weren't for the North's nuclear weapons and missiles, the South Korean military could
easily win dominance using conventional weapons.
The grave threat from North Korea stems from the asymmetric threat of nuclear weapons and
missiles.
Therefore, should I become president of this nation, the main focus of my foreign and security
policy will be on the elimination of nuclear weapons.
It's pressure and sanctions rather than dialogue that we need to deal with the North Korean
problem today.
It's not enough for South Korea to act independently in pressuring and sanctioning North Korea.
We must work with the U.S. based on our ironclad alliance and negotiate on common strategies
in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
Another very important country is China.
China had been uncooperative and rather lenient in carrying out UN Security Council sanctions
on North Korea until quite recently.
Fortunately, the Trump administration has placed utmost priority on resolving North
Korea's nuclear and missile programs and I believe if the U.S. and South Korea could
together persuade China to join in on pressuring and sanctioning North Korea, it could lead
to resolving the regime's nuclear issue.
We could then corner the North's Kim Jong-un to make the choice of holding on to its nuclear
weapons or face a regime collapse.
When North Korea begins the abandoning process of its nuclear weapons and missiles is when
I'd be willing to start a dialogue or consider economic cooperation with Pyongyang.
What is the first thing you will do as president?
First and foremost, national security.
A crack in national security means life or death.
The nation's economy is on edge as well.
There have rarely been times where we've had crises on both fronts.
Should I become president, I will immediately review and establish the South Korean government's
stance on dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, its provocations and
meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and reach an agreement on that front.
Then, I will convince the nations surrounding the Korean peninsula including China, Japan,
and Russia to join in on our efforts and focus on getting as many countries on board as possible.
Next is the economy.
The last time we saw an economic crisis of this size was during the 1997 financial crisis.
Therefore, I will concentrate on overcoming the economic crisis.
I will spend the first year to year and a half of my term solving these two problems.
As soon as there is some stability on those fronts, I will carry out fundamental reforms
on long overdue issues such as low growth, low birthrate, and economic polarization.
This is my blueprint.
The Korean economy is at a point where we need to be concerned about both growth and
welfare.
But, of the major presidential candidates, I'm the only one with a balanced concern for
both growth and welfare.
Liberty Korea Party's candidate's pledge is an outdated policy centered on conglomerates;
candidates from the Democratic Party and People's Party only highlight welfare and distribution.
What the Korean economy needs at this point is a recovery momentum for growth.
That momentum will come from entrepreneurial thinking and innovation at SMEs, startups,
and venture firms.
It's what I call innovative growth and it has everything to do with startups, entrepreneurship,
cutting red tape, small and mid-sized enterprises, and science and technology.
The success will depend on how consistent and persistent the president pushes forward
with the plan.
On the other hand, I always emphasize growth while sharing.
Polarization, inequality, unfair practice are serious problems not only to the Korean
society but to the economy as well.
We've gotten to the point where we are concerned whether this country as a nation can even
create a single community.
In order to solve these issues, we must break free of this conglomerates-centered economic
system and help SMEs and startups prosper.
Another big concern in Korea today are temporary jobs in the labor market; disparity and disproportionality
in education and child welfare based on income; and social welfare.
The key to my idea of new conservative politics lies on how much the new government can make
and push forward with policies that address these problems; policies for the average,
ordinary people struggling everyday to make their ends meet.
So, should I become President, I plan to implement balanced policies promoting both growth as
well as welfare.
Why does the Republic of Korea need Yoo Seong-min as president in 2017?
This is a new era for the Republic of Korea.
The core value of this new era is stated in Article 1 of the Constitution: The Republic
of Korea shall be a democratic republic.
I envisage a just society and a warm community.
The reason I've been in politics is because I believe in creating a community where there
is no disparity, no prejudice between the have's and have-not's.
I believe in reviving our economy, picking up our recovery momentum, resolving the low
birthrate, creating a just and fair society where there is no more beneficiaries of corruption
like ex-President Park's longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil.
Achieving a fair, just and equal society, finding the most important value there; creating
a warm community and above all, fostering leaders that uphold the Constitution and abide
by the laws and overcoming the economic and security crises.
These are things that I am confident I can do better than any other running in this election.
Charting new path, new hope not only for the conservatives, but for all of the Korean people.
Absolutely.
That is my conviction.
I strongly believe in new hope for the conservatives and when conservatives change, the entire
nation can change.
Therefore, if I could become new hope for the healthy conservative, I can become new
hope for the Republic of Korea.
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