By Yi Whan-woo
Two senior economists ― Kang Bong-kyun and Kim Chong-in ― will lead the electoral campaigns for the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), respectively, for the April 13 general election.
It is the first time that two economists will be the campaign chiefs for the two biggest parties seeking seats in the Assembly.
Analysts expect the two parties will compete to offer more attractive economic pledges as a means of appealing to voters ahead of the election.
Kang and Kim are poles apart in their strategies concerning family-owned conglomerates, welfare, and taxation to revive the sluggish economy.
Kang accepted the Saenuri Party Chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung's call to take charge of its campaigns for the parliamentary elections, Friday. He is expected to begin his new job this week.
The party's choice of Kang is regarded as a counterbalance to Kim Chong-in who has been bolstering his leadership in nominating candidates.
Kang, 72, was a career bureaucrat. He was a senior presidential secretary on economic affairs under the progressive Kim Dae-jung government (February 1998- February 2003) before serving as a finance minister from May 1999 to January 2000.
He served three consecutive parliamentary terms for 10 years with the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), Uri Party and Democratic Party, all predecessors of the MPK, after winning by-elections in August 2002 as a MDP candidate in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
In the December 2012 presidential election, he was a campaign staff member for Ahn Cheol-soo, an entrepreneur-turned-politician who competed against then-conservative candidate Park Geun-hye.
Kim Chong-in, 75, a former economics professor at Sogang University, built his career as an economic policymaker under the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan in the 1980s.
He was a senior presidential secretary on economic affairs to former President Roh Tae-woo, one of Chun's supporters, before serving four parliamentary terms with the Democratic Justice Party and its conservative successors. They include Grand National Party, which changed its name to Saenuri Party in February 2012.
Kim Chong-in was the architect of Park's 2012 election pledges. But he separated with her later for uncertain reasons and was recruited by former MPK leader Moon Jae-in in January.
The MPK put Kim Chong-in on the second on the list of candidates for proportional representatives, who will win a parliamentary seat in April in proportion to the MPK's number of victories at 253 election constituencies.
In their strategies to bolster economy, Kim Chong-in calls for economic reform to scrap chaebol-friendly regulations and to nurture small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) through fair and business competition.
Kang is against such "economic democratization" although he agrees with Kim Chong-in to prevent chaebol or family-owned conglomerates from illicitly dominating the market.
Kang insists on helping conglomerates to expand their investment, citing that a majority of the SMEs are linked to larger companies in their businesses and intimidating chaebol will not lead to revival of the economy.
Regarding welfare policies, Kim Chong-in claims using the national budgets to financially support the all senior citizens aged 60 or older or those in their 20s and 30s with difficulty in getting jobs will help related industries to grow.
The MPK seeks to raise the monthly pension provided to senior citizens 300,000 won ($258), up from current 200,000 won.
Kang argues that the government should carefully selectively target groups for welfare benefits, warning that certain policy will be difficult to withdraw once it is implemented.
He says retired people in their 60s or older only should receive pension if they are financially troubled.
He is also skeptical about Kim Chong-in's view that raising corporate tax will bring increase in the amount tax collected.
Kang proposes to give exempt tax to certain amounts for the companies that invest their revenue.
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| Kang Bong-kyun |
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| Kim Chong-in |
It is the first time that two economists will be the campaign chiefs for the two biggest parties seeking seats in the Assembly.
Analysts expect the two parties will compete to offer more attractive economic pledges as a means of appealing to voters ahead of the election.
Kang and Kim are poles apart in their strategies concerning family-owned conglomerates, welfare, and taxation to revive the sluggish economy.
Kang accepted the Saenuri Party Chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung's call to take charge of its campaigns for the parliamentary elections, Friday. He is expected to begin his new job this week.
The party's choice of Kang is regarded as a counterbalance to Kim Chong-in who has been bolstering his leadership in nominating candidates.
Kang, 72, was a career bureaucrat. He was a senior presidential secretary on economic affairs under the progressive Kim Dae-jung government (February 1998- February 2003) before serving as a finance minister from May 1999 to January 2000.
He served three consecutive parliamentary terms for 10 years with the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), Uri Party and Democratic Party, all predecessors of the MPK, after winning by-elections in August 2002 as a MDP candidate in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
In the December 2012 presidential election, he was a campaign staff member for Ahn Cheol-soo, an entrepreneur-turned-politician who competed against then-conservative candidate Park Geun-hye.
Kim Chong-in, 75, a former economics professor at Sogang University, built his career as an economic policymaker under the military dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan in the 1980s.
He was a senior presidential secretary on economic affairs to former President Roh Tae-woo, one of Chun's supporters, before serving four parliamentary terms with the Democratic Justice Party and its conservative successors. They include Grand National Party, which changed its name to Saenuri Party in February 2012.
Kim Chong-in was the architect of Park's 2012 election pledges. But he separated with her later for uncertain reasons and was recruited by former MPK leader Moon Jae-in in January.
The MPK put Kim Chong-in on the second on the list of candidates for proportional representatives, who will win a parliamentary seat in April in proportion to the MPK's number of victories at 253 election constituencies.
In their strategies to bolster economy, Kim Chong-in calls for economic reform to scrap chaebol-friendly regulations and to nurture small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) through fair and business competition.
Kang is against such "economic democratization" although he agrees with Kim Chong-in to prevent chaebol or family-owned conglomerates from illicitly dominating the market.
Kang insists on helping conglomerates to expand their investment, citing that a majority of the SMEs are linked to larger companies in their businesses and intimidating chaebol will not lead to revival of the economy.
Regarding welfare policies, Kim Chong-in claims using the national budgets to financially support the all senior citizens aged 60 or older or those in their 20s and 30s with difficulty in getting jobs will help related industries to grow.
The MPK seeks to raise the monthly pension provided to senior citizens 300,000 won ($258), up from current 200,000 won.
Kang argues that the government should carefully selectively target groups for welfare benefits, warning that certain policy will be difficult to withdraw once it is implemented.
He says retired people in their 60s or older only should receive pension if they are financially troubled.
He is also skeptical about Kim Chong-in's view that raising corporate tax will bring increase in the amount tax collected.
Kang proposes to give exempt tax to certain amounts for the companies that invest their revenue.
